Edel Raid and Pleasure
by soundless steps
Summary: In the many worlds, there are many powers. Days after her birth, Hinata gains the powers of an Edel Raid. During her kidnapping, she creates a permanent bond with a certain someone. With joined destinies, the two must help the other grow. Please Enjoy c:
1. First React: Chapter 1

Underlined speech is thought.

Italicized _words_ signify emphasis put on words or a change in tone_._

_Italicized sentences are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is **bolded,** it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is underlined, it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is (underlined), it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. The reverse is true with bolding. If a word is **b**olded at the first letter and underlined at the last, it is when their words are out of sync and Naruto's voice comes first. The reverse is true of thi**s**._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

**Bold words are author notes.**

* * *

**I checked on fan-fiction, and this is the second Naruto story that has anything from Elemental Gelade. ****I guess I am the first to see how perfectly this fits a Naruto/Hinata relationship. ****This makes me happy considering one thing I pride myself in is being a bit different in what I do with a story. Make sure you read and understand the large italicized section above. It is very important for you to imagine how each song sounds. This is _NOT_ a multi-chapter song-fiction. The songs activate Hinata's powers.  
**

**I do not own Naruto or Elemental Gelade.**

**PS: Thanks for checking out this story. If you manage to stick to this story for at least half it's current length, you won't regret it.  
**

"**First React."**

Only a few months passed since the devastating attack made by the greatest of the Bijū, the Kyūbi no Yōkō. Damage to the village was minimum thanks to the beast being stopped far from the walls. Even so, the sheer power it gave off was still enough to cause some damage. It was still nothing that couldn't be rebuilt in those few months. The true damage was the mental turmoil everyone felt due to the Kyūbi's killer intent.

Outside of the awareness of everyone in the village, the beast's power did something else. In the moment of its defeat, an invisible rift in space and time was created that continued to exist to this day. After all this time, something finally put this rift to use.

The figure that did this was clearly a woman in an astral form that appeared no older than seventeen. Everything from the shoulders down was transparent and outlined with a soft green glow. She had long, straight baby-blue hair that fell all the way down to her back. Her eyes were an entrancing shade of emerald green. The most unique feature was an emerald-like gem right above the brow of her forehead. The astral figure looked down at the village before flying to it. "I don't know why, but I feel there is something I must do there before returning to my realm."

Down in the despairing village, there were still plenty reason's for hope for the future. One of these reasons slept comfortably in a crib within the Hyuga Clan mansion. The parents of this child looked down at her and smiled. The first to speak was the woman. "Hiashi, what kind of girl do you think Hinata-chan will be when she grows up?"

The man beside her smiled. "If she has inherited as many of your genes as I think she has, Hinata shall grow up to be a beautiful and kind woman. It will be difficult raising her into a fine heir Hiromi."

She gave him a halfhearted glare with light purple eyes. "I don't know. From what I have seen so far, this clan could use a change. I still don't approve of that way the branch members are controlled."

"I know, but there is little I can do about that. If it weren't for the fact that one of those branch members is my own twin, I would also be pro-seal. Until I become a Hyuga elder and Hinata becomes head, this will only continue."

Hiromi let out a sigh. "I know. We should leave Hinata-chan alone so she can get some rest. I could use some sleep myself." Just as they opened the door to the room, they heard the sound of powerful gusts of wind. They quickly turned towards their daughter. Shock was written on both of their faces.

The crib where their daughter slept was surrounded by a dome formed of thick, visible wisps of wind. The transparent girl that slowly became visible before Hinata filled them with even more worry. The woman spoke with a soft voice that held underlying kindness. "I now know what I must do."

Hiashi charged forward, intent on stopping whatever was about to happen. This proved useless as the barrier of wind redirected him to the side no matter how hard he pushed against it. He clenched his teeth in frustration. "I can't do anything."

The girl clasped her hands together in a prayer-like fashion.

_On this night, peace and calm;  
I sing this song for (you)._

Both of the parents felt their worries melt away at the soothing and angelic voice of this woman.

_Let my song fill you__  
Deep into the (depths) of your heart.  
__Yours is a (heart)__  
Pure as the crystal winds  
Twisting and mingling with the golden (earth).  
__Now, with this heart  
__Accept the power I ((grant))._

Both Hiashi and Hiromi shielded their eyes thanks to a bright flash of light. When this light was gone, all that was left behind was their daughter. As any worried parents would, the pair ran up to their child's crib. A gasp of shock escaped the mother's mouth when she laid eyes on her child. "W-what is this?"

Hiashi looked down at his daughter with a serious expression. Much to his own surprise, an emerald green gem could now be seen on her head. Its position and shape was exactly the same as the strange girl. The father activated his Byakugan for a better look. After a few seconds, he let out a sigh. "I do not know what happened. Outside of the gem on her head, absolutely nothing has changed. From what I can tell, that gem is now a part of her. I don't think removal would be wise."

Hiromi looked down at Hinata will concerned eyes. "I wonder who that girl was."

Far above the village, that same girl flew back to the spatial rift. Because of her existence as an astral being, she could see it. Just before reaching it, she stopped and looked down at the village. "By giving that girl the same Elemental Gelade I possess, I have turned her into an Edel Raid. It is good that her life will still be no longer than a human's. I hope she and her daughters find kind pleasures as partners." Her head and eyes drooped a bit. "So tired. I should return. Cou might worry if I am not there when he wakes." After she flew through the portal, it closed, never to open again.

**Just under three years later.**

Fireworks lit up this night of celebration. After over two years, the war with Kumo was finally over. Only a few hours ago, the Head Shinobi of Kumo signed a treaty with the Hokage. Even with the great losses from the Kyūbi attack, Konoha was still able to bring the battle to a draw. Everyone was there, except for one clan. On this day, Hinata Hyuga, the heiress of the Hyuga clan turned three. The girl held all the cuteness a child of her age should posses. The only distracting feature was a set of bandages that where wrapped around her head. If it wasn't for the fact that these bandages were over her brow, one would think that she was branded with the curse seal of the branch family.

The three year old Hinata slept comfortably in her bed. She was completely unaware of the figure entering through her window. As soon as he placed his hands over her mouth, her eyes opened. She looked at him with fear in her eyes. "If you don't want to get hurt, stay quiet." The first thing he did was gag her mouth. After that, he tied her arms and legs together. He let his fingers glide over her skin in a sick form of pleasure. "I should check under those bandages to make sure you are the heiress." The man removed the bandages and chuckled. "Interesting. This is quite a pretty gem. It could sell for a lot." The man tried to take it, but the gem was too close to her skull for him to get a grip on it. "It looks like this thing is stuck in there. I wonder how you can grow your hair under it."

The man hoisted the child onto his shoulder and exited through the window. He ran along the building's side before suddenly stopping. The reason for him stopping was the fact that Hiashi stood in his way. "STOP: WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" The man quickly decided that a confrontation would be impossible for him. He turned right and leapt over the compound's walls. Hiashi's eyes widened when he noticed that the man's cargo was his own daughter. "HINATA!"

Hiashi chased the man through a pre-planned route. Because he didn't now this, Hiashi was caught off guard by a hidden trap. The delay created considerable time for the shinobi to increase the distance between him and the Hyuga clan head. As part of his route, the man turned into a short alley. This turned out to be a mistake that would cost him his mission. Without warning, the man tripped over something. As he did so, the object he tripped over and the girl flew out the other end of the alley. "What was that?"

The object he was wondering about turned out to be a very young boy no older than the girl he was kidnapping. He had spiky blond hair and three whisker-like marks on each cheek. His clothes were a simple pair of shorts and a t-shirt designed with an orange spiral. The boy winced in pain as he opened his eyes for a look at what hit him. Instead, he got a look at a girl that was tied up like a hog. His confusion was quickly replaced with concern as he ran up to the girl. "You okay."

The first thing he did was removed the gag that was preventing her from talking. This was a useless effort as the girl was left speechless by the boys shining blue eyes. In all her memories, not even the sky was capable of this brilliant shade. "Who is he?"

The blond moved for her hands. He tried to pull at the bindings, but doing so only proved futile. For some compelling reason, the boy decided that he would interlock his fingers with hers. As soon as their palms touched, an unfathomable energy filled their young bodies. Both could only look at the other in surprise at the effect this connection was having on them. The thoughts they shared were the same. "What is this?"

Outside of her own control, Hinata's mouth began to move. She did not understand why she spoke the upcoming words. She only knew that she had to say them.

_On a helpless but pretty night  
Soothing and comforting  
And prospering on the (eyelids)_

Naruto's eyes widened. "Is she singing?" His thoughts blocked out one of her lines. "I can feel what she will sing next."

_As I, at this moment  
Make this promise to join like twins  
__Like a string of (breaths)  
__Winds grab a hold of (us)  
__I, at this moment  
__And through eternity  
__Wear the winds of the red soul  
__As I make this promise  
__(And bind my soul to yours)_

The Kumo Head Shinobi looked on at this with an awestruck face. The very young pair was surrounded by an ethereal column of wind. He shielded his eyes as a bright flash of light surrounded the pair. Just as they finished the song, the light faded. "What was that?"

The young three year old boy took a look at what became of his right arm. Everything looked normal from the elbow up. Past that, the boys arm was encased inside of a massive sword. Most of it was a shade of green that could best be described as an Easter egg that has only been in the dye for a few seconds. The blade itself, which started at where the boy's wrist would be, was a salmon pink color with the blunt part the same shade of green as the rest. The hilt, if one could consider it a hilt, was decorated with a few golden designs, two small indigo sphere gems that levitated a few inches off of the hilt, and a long indigo ribbon that spiraled around the hilt without touching it. Both ends of this ribbon pointed directly at each of the indigo gems. The last design was an oval shaped gem of a deep emerald color embedded deep into the weapon. This gem was about the size of the boy's hand, but still only covered about fifty percent of the hilt's width. Extending away from the hilt was an extension one-third the length of the hilt and blade that had a golden strip all the way down its length. If the extension were not to be included, the weapon would be as long as the boy was tall. This weapon could only be described as beautiful because of how light reflected off of it like any well polished blade. **Because it would be **_**very**_** hard to imagine what was described, I suggest looking it up on you-tube or something.**

The boy appraised the weapon that was now on his arm. Despite its massive and cumbersome appearance, lifting the blade felt no more difficult than lifting just his arm. "What is this?"

"_LOOK OUT."_

**A few seconds earlier.** The Kumo Head Shinobi also appraised the weapon. He shook his head to snap out of how impressed he was. "I don't know who this kid is, what that weapon is, or what he has done with the Hyuga girl; but I have to dispatch of this witness and find her quick." He charged forward with a short sword ready. He saw the boy look up at him with a shocked expression, but it was too late for the child.

With no other idea crossing his mind, the blond swiped at the man with the blunt end of the blade. Although the boy didn't feel the weapon's weight, the man certainly did. Not only was he hit by an object with the inertia of something weighing fifty pounds; but he was also blasted by a powerful gust of wind that hit him twice as forcefully. He could not think in time to avoid crashing into the corner of the building. He maintained consciousness long enough to see that the ground between him and the boy was completely devastated.

Attracted by the racket, Hiashi ran for the location. In all his haste, his Byakugan has yet to be activated. He finally remembered to do so at this time. What he saw shocked him. The jonin level shinobi that kidnapped his daughter now lay battered and unconscious on the ground. The only person there was a young boy. "It can't be. That boy is Naruto Uzumaki, the one with the Kyūbi sealed inside of him. Where in the world did he get a weapon like that? Not once have I ever seen anything like it." Before he could reach the location, Naruto fainted from a strange drain in his energy. Hiashi arrived in the moment he hit the ground. The Hyuga clan head could not believe his Byakugan as the weapon was surrounded by specks of light and disappeared. The part he couldn't believe the most was how at the same rate the weapon faded from existence, his daughter materialized behind the blond. Hiashi noticed how she was tied up and unconscious, so he caught her before she landed on her side. "That boy defeated this man because of that weapon. Based on what I have seen, that weapon was Hinata. Just what exactly has my daughter been turned into." Hiashi turned to the unconscious Kumo shinobi. "I should take him to Ibiki. He will find out what this man knows."

**In two days.**

Hiashi looked at Ibiki with his cold Hyuga eyes. "Do not bother me with the reasons behind why he committed this act. I care only for how he was defeated."

Ibiki narrowed his eyes at the strange demand. "From what he tells me, he was defeated thanks to a strange weapon that one Naruto Uzumaki summoned out of thin air. He says that he was thrown back by both the bulk of this weapon and by the powerful wind it gave off. That is all we can gather."

Hiashi nodded his head in a form of thanks. "Your information is most helpful. That will be all."

As the Hyuga left the room, Ibiki narrowed his eyes further. "Hiashi-sama, do you have any more information in this matter."

Hiashi stopped halfway. "I do, but I will only discuss it with my wife and Hokage-sama. No one outside of this list has a right to know."

"I see. I will speak with Hokage-sama to ensure that you indeed spoke to him. Rest assured that I will not inquire into private matters."

Hiashi stopped at the door. "Ensure that you don't." He left on that last note.

**Miles away, at the summit of Myobokuzan Mountain.**

A man with long spiky white hair looked up at a large wrinkly toad that was three times his height. Seated next to this toad is a pair of toads that looked just as tall as the man's shin. "The largest was the first to speak. "Jiraiya, do you know why you have been called here."

Jiraiya spoke to the large being with only respect in his voice. "You have called me about a change in the prophecy."

"Hai. It appears that the peace from the student you train will come sooner than before, though I still do not know the time. The reason for this change is because the student will not be alone in his quest. I can feel great feelings of compassion and love between this student and the companion."

Jiraiya looked up at the toad with a smirk on his face. "Did you just say love? Maybe I can put the two to use in this series I plan on writing. You did say I am supposed to become a world renowned pervert."

The large toad smirked. "I do not know if the two will appreciate you doing so. It may be hazardous to your health."

Jiraiya's smirk grew. "I am good at stealth."

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**This is yet another story that I had to get out there. I did once say that I wouldn't have any more than two active stories, but I couldn't help myself. I can promise that I won't be distracted from my main project.**

**If there are any questions, I would be happy to answer. I hope I get reviews because they are the best way to see what kinds of readers I have. If any of you want, you can check out my other stories as well.  
**


	2. Forgotten Youth: Chapter 2

Underlined speech is thought.

Italicized _words_ signify emphasis put on words or a change in tone_._

_Italicized sentences are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is **bolded,** it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is underlined, it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is (underlined), it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. The reverse is true with bolding. If a word is **b**olded at the first letter and underlined at the last, it is when their words are out of sync and Naruto's voice comes first. The reverse is true of thi**s**._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: Hinata is visited by a strange woman on her first day home. As a result, she is granted a gift that baffles Hinata's parents. Three years later, the Kumo kidnapping occurs. During his escape, the Kumo shinobi crashes into a young boy. As he recovered from the surprise, the boy went to Hinata's rescue. During this rescue, both experience a strange sensation. After singing for her first time; Hinata transformed into a large blade worn on the boy's arm. With this new power, the shinobi was dispatched by slamming him against the corner of a wall. Hiashi appeared just in time to catch his daughter as she reappeared. Two days later, he asked Ibiki how the man was defeated. Many miles away, Jiraiya the toad sage hears that the prophecy he was given many years ago has changed.)

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**April 6, 2009, six days after the previous chapter  
**

"**Forgotten Youth"**

**After the amazing response after the first chapter's release, I feel disappointed in telling you readers that I'll have to have two chapters that move the story along slowly. I just can't rush into the more exciting parts of a story like other people do.**

Hiashi, Hiromi, and Hiruzen all sat in the Hokage office. Hiruzen took his pipe and took in a long drag. He held it for a few seconds before releasing it. "Hiashi, from what you have told me, Hinata is not a normal Hyuga girl. Why haven't you informed anyone else of the changes you daughter experienced."

Hiashi closed his eyes in serious thought. "I decided that it would be best to keep what happened to my daughter secret. I was worried that she would be ostracized because of the gem I spoke of. Until today, only the elders know about this gem. I have kept it hidden from anyone else. This is surprisingly easy considering that when activated; my Byakugan only sees the gem as a growth."

Hiashi sighed. "I must agree with your reasoning. If knowledge of Hinata's power were to get out, I know of certain factions within Konoha that would love to get their hands on her even if it means going through the Hyuga Clan." Images of a man with his face half covered by bandages popped into the Hokage's head. "Now on to the matter of Naruto's involvement. The boy woke up yesterday evening. From what he told me, he has no memory about what has happened beyond the point of a large man crashing into him. From this, it is safe to say that he has no memory of your daughter or the weapon she turned into."

Hiashi released a sigh of his own. "I see. That may be for the best. As for my daughter, she has yet to wake since the incident. From what I can tell, the reason is simply high exhaustion. Because her chakra levels are normal, it is safe to conclude that this strange power utilizes a form of energy that we do not know of yet. Like with chakra, it is possible that this energy can grow along with the user. If this is not the case, I may have to forbid Hinata against ever using this power again."

Hiruzen nodded. "That shall do Hiashi. I am glad that you have come to me about this." Hiashi and Hiromi stood up and bowed to the elderly man before leaving the room. "Wait." The Hyuga stopped and turned around. "I forgot that there is still the matter of the Kumo Head Shinobi. To deal with him, I will have Inoichi enter his mind and seal away those memories. We don't want to give Kumo a second reason to want your daughter. Because the new memories involve you giving the man his injuries; you may be forced to pay some form of compensation. Fortunately, they won't be able to ask for anything unreasonable considering we plan to return him alive."

Hiashi nodded. "I am willing to pay any price for my daughter's wellbeing." He left with his wife in tow.

Hiruzen pinched the bridge of his nose. "This Kumo incident will mean a lot of unpleasant paperwork. It is a good thing that Hinata's power is unofficial information or it would have to be in paper as well."

Outside of this room, Hiashi and Hiromi made their way out of the building. "I really don't like all those official meetings. I can never get in a word in edgewise. We should go home. I am still worried about Hinata-chan. If she doesn't wake up soon, it could mean trouble."

"Hai Hiromi. I am also worried." The married couple soon reached the compound and made their way to Hinata's room.

As soon as they opened the room, Hiromi ran forward and wrapped her arms around her daughter. Tears formed on her eyes as she voiced her worry. "Thank goodness. Are you okay Hinata-chan."

The girl rubbed her eyes. "Hai Okaa-san."

"Do you remember what happened to you?"

Hinata looked at her mother with teary eyes. "I-I remember th-this scary man in m-my room. H-he took m-me. All I re-remember i-is b-being th-thrown through th-the air. G-gomen, he s-s-saw my E-Elemental G-Gelade."

The eyes of both parents widened. "Hinata-chan, what is an Elemental Gelade?"

"I-it's the g-gem."

Hiashi stepped forward with his usual serious expression. "Where did you hear this Hinata?"

The three-year-old looked down and started playing with her fingers. "A p-pretty l-lady told me i-in my dream."

"Do you remember what she looked like Hinata?"

"H-hai. Her h-hair was l-like the sk-sky and she h-had the s-same Elemental Ge-Gelade as m-me."

Hiashi's eyes widened at the description. "That has to be the same girl that started all this three years ago." He quickly returned his eyes to their normal size. "Did she tell you anything else?"

"She j-just said I will fi-figure out the r-rest."

Hiashi nodded at his daughter. "I cannot expect any more of you. Because you were asleep for two days, I am certain that you are hungry. I will inform the chefs that you will need something quick and light."

The child blushed brightly when her stomach made a sound worthy of a much older person. Hiashi let out a small reduced chuckle. Hiromi was not as reserved. "Let's get you ready." Hiashi left the room as she did this.

The years passed as both a blessing and a tragedy struck the family. Exactly three months after Hinata's fifth birthday, Hiromi gave birth to yet another daughter. Unfortunately, days before giving birth, Hiromi was struck by illness. The stresses of both problems ended her life. The only ones who were present for the funeral were Hiashi, Hinata, and the occasional friend of Hiromi's. It was night time and fairly cloudy, resulting in a very dark night.

Hiashi looked on at the picture of his late wife, betraying not a single emotion through his expression. The five-year-old Hinata was far different as she cried freely at her mother's death. Hiashi kneeled down and placed a hand on Hinata's head. "Do not cry Hinata. I doubt that your mother would have wanted you to be sad over her disappearance. Know that she is watching over you. If you become sad because of her, you will make her sad as well. That is the type of woman she was."

Hinata brought her hands to her eyes and began to wipe her tears. "H-hai O-O-Otou-sama." She looked up at him with tears escaping her eyes at a slower pace.

Hiashi stood up as he continued to look down at his daughter. "Come Hinata. Our bodies will be in need of rest." Hinata nodded in acceptance and followed her father to the Hyuga compound.

After a single week, a new kind of life began for Hinata Hyuga. Because of the death of Hiromi, both Hiashi and Hinata gained the time that would normally be dedicated to her. Now, this time was dedicated to further training in Jūken.

**Well over three years after this day.**

"Hinata, your legs are spaced too far apart and your stance is far too lax. Close that distance and sturdy your stance." Hiashi broke his attention away from his daughter and faced one of the open halls. The person passing by was his own twin brother, Hizashi Hyuga. Like with any time before, he could sense ill intent from the man.

Because the existence of Hinata's Elemental Gelade is kept completely secret from the branch family, they only saw the bandages on her head as an insult to their curse. Most activated their Byakugan and looked at it, but their eyes saw a growth just like Hiashi's did. As a result, nearly everyone in the branch family had an increased dislike for Hinata. Hiashi knew that they glared at her when they thought a head member wasn't there to see it; even with their Byakugan activated sometimes. As bad luck would have it, the person who seemed to dislike her the most was her own cousin; even though Hinata still preferred to see him as an elder brother.

Hiashi sighed at this. "With this overwhelming animosity towards my first daughter, I doubt that she will be able to lead this clan very easily; with or without the curse seal's use. Because she seems to grow to be more and more like her mother, the idea of her using the seal seems impossible. On top of this, there is that gem; the Elemental Gelade. I have looked at half of our records and nothing like this has ever been seen in all of the Elemental Nations. My daughter may very well be the first person to ever have one. Even with this strange power, I don't want her to use it. Like the Hokage said; if it is shown that she can turn into an actual weapon, they will start to see her the same way they see a kunai. She needs to become strong without ever using this ability of hers."

He let out yet another sigh as his eyes turned sad. "Making her strong enough to never use this power may prove difficult. Hinata has made it very clear that she is very sensitive to the way people behave around her. In an environment where she is only hated, she may never be able to grow and improve. She will need to grow in a different environment." He smiled for the first time since his thoughts began. "It is a good thing that Hinata happens to be eight this year. That just happens to be the entrance age required for the Shinobi Academy. I just hope that she isn't forced to use this power again. If I'm not mistaken, that Naruto Uzumaki can also join this year. I hope that if she sees him, it doesn't restore the memories from the event from five years ago."

Out in the village, a young blond boy sneezed. After he did this, everyone close enough to him glared at him with icy eyes. These eyes clearly said that they were angry that he would dare disrupt their lives with his noise and presence. They turned away from him in an annoyed way and continued on their business. The boy was certainly not oblivious to this behavior. On the outside, he was a happy-go-lucky kid. His thoughts told a different story. "Why do they look at me with those eyes? I never did anything to them and yet they hate me. If they don't hate me, then they ignore me. The only people I can trust are Ayame-nee-chan, Teuchi-jii-san, and Hokage-ojii-san. I wish people would look at me the way they look at him. If I became Hokage, everyone will have no choice but to look up to me. First, I have to ask Ojii-san how I become Hokage. Soon the world will know the name Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto stopped in the middle of the street and clutched his stomach. "I need Ichiraku Ramen."

The child ran through the streets, gaining a few glares along the way. Because his mind was focused on food, he did not notice these. He entered the stand and climbed up one of the stools. An old kind looking man looked down on the boy. "Hey there Naruto-kun. Will you be having your usual today or something else?"

"The usual Jii-san."

"Coming right up." He turned around and cupped his mouth. "Is the usual ready Ayame-chan."

A young girl's voice came from the back. "Not yet Otou-san. Naruto-kun is early today."

Although Naruto didn't think about this, this little exchange showed how often he came to Ichiraku Ramen and how predictable his visits were. Of course, only one thing was on his mind. "Ramen…. _Ramen_…. RAMEN…! _RAMEN_…!"

The two people behind the counter couldn't help but laugh at the salivation escaping his mouth. Ayame grabbed a napkin and reached over the counter, which she was just tall enough to do. "Let me get that Naruto-kun." She quickly dried both his chin and mouth of excess liquid.

The boy blushed and snapped out of his ramen starved state. "_Ayame-nee-chan!_ What did you do that for?"

"I did it because you only needed to take a pose before turning into a living fountain. I was actually debating whether or not I should throw a coin in and make a wish."

Naruto crossed his arms and huffed. "You're being mean today." His eyes narrowed a bit. "At least it isn't as bad as some other days. They seem to happen about once a month."

Ayame blushed at how right the eight-year-old boy was. She pulled a metal ladle out from nowhere and smacked the boy on the head. "You shouldn't say things like that to a lady." She huffed and walked to the back.

"Itai, what was that for?"

Teuchi could only chuckle for a few seconds. "Lets just say that sometimes, you are a little too perceptive for your own good Naruto-kun." The boy could only blink in confusion before being given his first bowl of ramen.

Once the third bowl was finished, Naruto paid for his meal and left the stand with a content belly. He had only one destination from there, the Hokage Tower. It did take the boy a few minutes, but he reached the tower. Without even caring about the people who where glaring at him, he walked up the stairs and made his way to the Hokage's office. Some of the people there wanted to stop him from seeing the Hokage, even though the man gave the boy exclusive permission to visit at any time. Conversely, they also wanted to keep their jobs. It is obvious which felling won out. This is why the boy was unimpeded as he barged into the Hokage's work room. "Hey there Ojii-san."

The elderly man there let out a very noticeable sigh of relief that the boy somehow didn't notice. The man looked at Naruto and smiled. "It is a good thing that Naruto is here to distract me from the evils of being Hokage. I don't know how I ever remained sane without his diversions." The old man smiled at the boy. "Tell me Naruto; what brings you here today."

"How can I become Hokage?"

Hiruzen's eyes widened at the very blunt way Naruto asked the question. His eyes closed when he chuckled. "Well Naruto. It isn't easy to become Hokage. You must first manage to become a powerful and skilled shinobi. You must become the best in the village for the job. This is of course not easy."

Naruto became excited. "So how do I become a shinobi?"

"That isn't as hard Naruto. All you really have to do is go through four years of the Shinobi Academy. It just so happens that you have just became old enough to enter. If you want, I can make it so you can go. The first classes should be in a few months. There is plenty of time to register you."

"ARIGATO OJII-SAN!" The small boy bounded off of the floor and landed right in Hiruzen's arms.

"Now there Naruto, there is no need to thank me yet."

"Hey, Ojii-san. Will I meet any friends there?"

Hiruzen's eyes widened for half a second at this question. His eyes quickly turned soft as he gave Naruto a soft smile. "Hai, you will."

The blond leapt off of the desk and started jumping up and down. "YATTA, YATTA, YATTA, YATTA!" He ran out of the door in a happy daze. "I'M GOING TO THE ACADEMY!"

Hiruzen's smile turned a bit sour. "I hope that turns out to be true. That boy has had too much disappointment in his life. Just once, something should go right for him." The man pulled open a drawer at the bottom right of his desk. This drawer held a number of mostly orange colored books and a single collection of papers. This was his 'happy' drawer. "Finally, paperwork that I won't mind doing. I have had these ready for weeks now. I was waiting for the perfect time to bring up being a shinobi to Naruto for all that time. Who would have thought that Naruto would do it all his own? I hope he turns out to be a fine shinobi that is worthy of the title Hokage." The man began work on the first and only paperwork he will ever enjoy.

Those months passed by as any other would for the two children. On this day when they will both start their paths to become shinobi, they had no clue that shortly after getting on that path, their destinies will be woven by the same thread. Little did they know; a single forgotten event in their pasts created this thread. But, even these things require some preparation.

* * *

**I feel very happy with how this chapter ended. I know that some people wanted the story to get right to them being all happy and together; but that isn't how I do things. This story still has the fastest Naruto/Hinata relationship out of all the lengthy stories I plan on writing. The next chapter may take me a bit more time to write, so don't expect a fast release for it.**

**Next Chapter: Academy Days.**


	3. Academy Days: Chapter 3

Underlined speech is thought.

Italicized _words_ signify emphasis put on _words_ or a change in tone_._

_Italicized sentences are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is **bolded,** it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is underlined, it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is (underlined), it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. The reverse is true with bolding. If a word is **b**olded at the first letter and underlined at the last, it is when their words are out of sync and Naruto's voice comes first. The reverse is true of thi**s**._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

**Bold words are author notes.**

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: Hiashi visited the Hokage with his wife about the recent incident. Once that was done, they returned to the compound and found Hinata awake. They learned that like Naruto, she had no memories of meeting anyone. Years later, the mother is dead and Hinata is disliked by the branch members. Hiashi decides to send her to the Shinobi Academy. Out in the village, a certain blond decides to become Hokage. This ends with him decided to go to the Academy as well.)

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**April 11, 2009: five days after the previous chapter.**

"**Academy Days"**

**Don't know if I should say that this fast update should be expected to continue or not. This story still has me quite inspired. I hope my muse doesn't fade much. I have also found a new way to enhance the way speech is read. This won't affect songs. Check above for details.  
**

The young Hinata Hyuga made her way to the academy for the first time under the supervision of an unrelated branch member. She had to constantly deal with him glaring at the back of her head. The bandages she wore in the compound were replaced by a dark blue ribbon. It blended so well with her hair, you had to be right next to her to notice. It was also wide enough to hide the Elemental Gelade without being tight on her head. The ribbon was held there by a very small unnoticeable knot. When they finally reached the place, the branch member sneered at her before leaving.

Hinata looked at the ground as she walked through the open area. "What if they look at me the same way; like an outcast and a failure." The one time she did look up, she saw her cousin. She immediately looked down again as he glared at her. With nothing else to do, she made her way to where she knew her classroom was. She found that the room was empty. "I guess everyone is outside." She made her way to the top row of seats, where only the teacher would be able to see her easily.

After a few minutes passed, she noticed a few of her fellow classmates coming into the room. Being the only one in at the time, she blushed at the attention being the first in the room brought. This quickly faded as the room filled. Now that she wasn't the center of attention, Hinata had no problem looking up. She then noticed a man with tan skin and a scar across his nose. "QUIET!" Everyone flinched at the voice. "Alright class. I will be your sensei for most of your first two years here. You will be learning exclusively from me and another sensei in the last two years."

The door suddenly and loudly opened, catching everyone's attention. A boy with blond hair and whisker marks on his cheeks. "Am I late?"

The man's eye twitched. "You should be able to tell simply by looking around. Take a seat in five seconds before you are forced to stand outside on the first day."

The boy quickly complied. As this happened, Hinata's eyes widened. "That boy…. I have seen him somewhere before." She looked down, shut her eyes, and clutched the sides of her head. Memories of the time when that Kumo shinobi kidnapped her came to mind. They went past the point of her flying through the air; to the events she forgot about. A small boy with spiky blond hair came to her aid. It got to the point where she started freeing her hands, and then nothing. "I remember now. I met him before. I thought that my father was the one who saved me."

As Naruto took his seat, he looked around the room and took in each interesting face. There was one boy wearing a large coat. Two had red markings on their cheeks, one of whom was a bit chubby. Next to this one was a lazy looking boy. The last of the boys had hair made of large black spikes and was very serious looking. All of the girls that caught his interest had short hair. One had lighter blond hair and looked a bit flashy. Another had surprisingly pink hair and was looked around the room nervously. She was more interesting to Naruto. There was also another girl that he would have passed off as plain if it weren't for the way she was clutching her head. There was also the way looking at her created this strange clawing sensation in the back of his mind. "She's weird."

"Class, may I have your attention. I am Iruka, but you will call me Iruka-sensei; understood."

"Hai Iruka-sensei."

"Good. If you students are expecting to start learning how to be a shinobi right from the get-go; I am afraid that you will be sorely disappointed. If you want to be a great shinobi, you must first learn the basics of being such a shinobi. We will first go into a description of what chakra is and the principles behind it. Once I am certain that you understand these, we will go out and each of you will try and pull on your chakra. Don't be disappointed if you don't get it on the first try. Some people take weeks to do it.

What felt like hours passed as Iruka went into a lecture on chakra. Only the most disciplined or geeky people weren't halfway asleep by then. Hinata and the boy in the trench-coat were of the first group. The pink haired girl was of the second. Everyone else was feeling the strain of a child's attention span. "Alright class, time to go outside." There were many sighs of relief and the single yell of happiness. Hinata chuckled because it was coming from the same boy from her memories. The whole class went outside and was called out according to alphabetical order. "First up, Shino Aburame."

The boy wearing the oversized trench coat stepped forward. He pulled his hands out of his pockets and formed the standard ram hand-seal. His chakra immediately started flowing out. Hinata's eyes widened a bit. "He's younger than Neji-nii-san, yet he has more chakra. I didn't know that younger people could have more chakra." Unknown to even her father, Hinata is not just sensitive to the feelings others have towards her. She is actually sensitive to everything a person is giving off; including chakra. As soon as someone starts molding their energy, she can fathom a vague guess at how much chakra they have when compared to someone else. Because she lived in the clan all her life, she could only compare older Hyuga to younger Hyuga.

This day turned out interesting for her because she was able to compare the chakra levels of many different looking people. It surprised her that the person that came after Shino, Choji Akimichi, had even more chakra. She also felt sorry for anyone who was unable to pull on their chakra. What surprised her was that some of the boys had even less chakra than she did, not to mention the girls. "Hinata Hyuga."

The rather shy girl blushed at the calling of her name. She stepped forward and performed the same hand-seal as everyone else. Thankfully, her family training helped her avoid the embarrassment of being unable to pull on her chakra. "I wonder how much chakra that yellow haired boy has." A number of people were called as she waited for the one who caught her interest to be called.

"Sasuke Uchiha." Hinata looked and noticed a boy with dark hair that radiated confidence walking forward. He formed the hand-seal and instantly pulled on his chakra.

Nearly everyone watching this was very impressed by the speed. Hinata was impressed for a different reason. "Amazing. He has so much more chakra that it doesn't even compare to the other boys. He's strong."

Some of the girls in the crowd immediately started thinking about how cool he was. "Naruto Uzumaki."

"FINALLY! IT'S MY TURN!"

Hinata turned and looked at the source of the voice that was becoming very recognizable for her. For the first time, she was able to get a look at his eyes. "It is~ him. That boy, Naruto Uzumaki; he is the one from when I was three years old. It just has to be him."

The bright blond boy stepped forward and formed the hand-seal. A few seconds passed and nothing happened. Naruto hunched over as he strained himself to pull on his chakra. "That is enough Naruto. It is time for the next person's turn."

"No, I can do this." The boy's voice was quite strained.

The man with the scar sighed. "THAT'S ENOUGH NARUTO~!" Naruto flinched and backed away to the glare the tan man was giving him. "You can try again later."

As he walked back to the crowd, many of the other students were laughing at him. Seeing his sad face, Hinata's heart went out to him. "That kid's a baka. Even the others knew when they can't do it."

The girl next to the one saying this chuckled. "Hai. I wonder how a baka like him even got in. He should still be in preschool."

Hearing these two say those things about Naruto made her fell a feeling that she really didn't like. She felt as if the feeling wouldn't go away unless she tested out her Jūken skills on these two girls. Her shy personality regained control as soon as they changed the subject. "Ino Yamanaka."

As this girl was the last on the list, she was able to make a fairly big impression on Hinata. "She has more chakra than I do and can even bring it out just as quickly as me. I guess that means I'm weaker." She looked down with a sad expression.

"Alright class, now that we are done with this, it is time for the break period. Feel free to go anywhere as long as you don't leave the Academy's walls. First, you should all head in and get today's lunch. If you have something from home, feel free to eat that."

Because of her desire to speak to him, Hinata made sure to get her food just after Naruto did. Unfortunately, her shyness proved to be an obstacle she couldn't just simply overcome. He finished his meal very quickly and headed for a secluded section of the playground. "Maybe if I follow him, I might remember more about that night." She stood up and followed him while still carrying her food.

She followed him all the way to a corner where no one else could see either of them. Naruto looked around to make sure that this was the case. Hinata ducked away in time to avoid being seen. Without her knowing, a piece of her food fell on the ground. The boy smiled at the certainty that no one was there. He formed the hand-seal and started trying to pull on his chakra.

Hinata's eyes widened. "Why is he doing this? No one is telling him to practice. He is just doing it on his own. I never train on my own. I never see anyone training outside of a set time." Her thoughts ceased after feeling a slight amount of chakra coming off of him. She clenched her fist in anticipation. "Come on Naruto-kun; you are almost there. You can do it. I believe in you."

At this last thought, her eyes widened at the first bit of chakra he molded. After a few seconds, the chakra flow stopped. "YATTA!"

"Oh no, he's coming this way. What if he's mad I was spying on him?" Hinata escaped from there as quickly she could. As soon as she was a safe distance, she tried to contemplate what she just felt. "How is that even possible? I know for a fact that as people get older, they have more chakra. I also know that different types of people have different amounts, but he is unreal. The amount of chakra Naruto-kun has, it is almost as much as my Otou-sama. How in the world does someone get that much? I have to know."

Naruto happily walked out of his seclusion. With one of his steps, he felt something get squished under his shoes. He stepped back to take a look at it. "This looks like some of my food. I'm certain that I ate all mine. This means… this is someone else's." Naruto scoffed. "They were probably going to laugh at me trying. He must fell pretty stupid now that I proved them _all_ wrong." The blond continued smiling and walking at his feeling of triumph. As he walked, he noticed the pink haired girl curled up on the ground. Two boys were pointing at her and laughing. Naruto scowled and ran for them. "STOP YOU BULLIES!"

He stopped in front of the girl and glared at the boys. After a few seconds, they started laughing at him as well. "Looks like Forehead-san has herself a little friend."

"Hai, I didn't know that she was a loser as well."

"Birds of a feather flock together they say." The two boys walked away while laughing loudly.

Naruto ignored him and turned his attention to the small girl behind him. "Hey, are you alright. Don't worry about them."

She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "I-I don't need a guy who can't even use his chakra to protect me. Just mind your own business BAKA!"

Naruto simply watched her run away with a dumbfounded expression. A few seconds passed before that expression turned into a determined one. "She's like me. I'm going to be friends with her no matter what." The blond went off to find even more friends. While on this quest, he noticed the lazy looking boy and the larger one sitting right next to each other. Naruto made his way to them. "Hey, you're one of the ones who couldn't use chakra like me."

The one next to the boy Naruto was looking at responded. "I don't think Shikamaru heard you. He's probably asleep by now."

The boy caught their attention by yawning. "I was~ asleep." He looked at Naruto with a lazy expression. "You're that kid who didn't want to stop trying. What is the point of using all that energy?"

Naruto huffed. "I'll bet that you were too lazy to even use your chakra."

The boy let out the combination of a grunt and a chuckle. "You understand me. I'm Shikamaru and he's Choji. You're Naruto."

The boy couldn't look more proud of himself. "Congratulations on learning the name of the next Hokage."

"Sounds like a troublesome goal. Doesn't the Hokage know how to use chakra?"

"I _CAN_ USE CHAKRA!"

"Why didn't you before."

Naruto looked down bashfully. "I just figured it out."

Shikamaru let out a full chuckle. "Otou-san was right. He did say that if I met a blond with marks of his face, he would be very interesting. What's do you think about class."

Naruto crossed his arms. "It's boring. All that is useless for shinobi. They should just teach us the important stuff."

Shikamaru chuckled. "I have a different view. It is a good way to get some winks in."

As Naruto narrowed his eyes, Choji laughed. "Don't mind Shikamaru. He has always been like this. It is best to just accept him."

Naruto turned to Choji with an interested look. "So…what's with you? You look kind of big."

Shikamaru's expression flinched as Choji looked down with a sad expression. To Naruto's surprise, Shikamaru stood up and whispered to him. "Look, Choji is a bit sensitive to his size. Try to avoid mentioning it to him from now on."

Naruto looked at Choji will a confused expression. "Oh, sorry about that Choji. How do you get like that?"

Choji blinked in confusion. "I eat a lot."

Naruto smiled. "Do you like ramen?"

He became even more confused. "Hai, I do."

"Isn't Ichiraku ramen the best?"

"I haven't had Ichiraku ramen."

"NANI?! What's wrong with you? How can you like ramen and have not had Ichiraku ramen."

Choji's eyes narrowed. "How do you know that Ichiraku ramen is the best? Just because ichi is in its name, does not mean that it is number one."

Naruto looked like he was struck. He quickly became angry. "HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT ICHIRAKU ISN'T THE BEST?!"

"HOW DO YOU KNOW IT IS THE BEST WHEN YOU HAVEN'T HAD OTHER RAMEN?!"

Shikamaru watched this scene play out in front of his eyes. "I can't believe that they are in a heated discussion on ramen. That blond really is~ interesting."

As this break ended, Naruto ignored the teacher's lecture with a smile on his face. Just like the Hokage promised, he obtained his first friends. He couldn't help but think that his four years will go perfectly. Two years passed as this was unfortunately proved to be not the case. He quickly gained the reputation of being the class clown and failure. On this, it was the first day that they worked with weapons. Like with everything else, he showed little ability; especially when compared to the classroom's best, Sasuke. The blond made his way to his usual private place, unaware of his little spectator.

She leaned against the tree while watching in secret. "Do your best Naruto-kun. You will become Hokage, I know it. I just wish I could help. Maybe I shouldn't have been hoping that you would fail when you tried to take the graduation exam early. I wonder why I would think that way. Next time, I will root for you with everything I have."

**One year and eight months later.**

This day turned out to be one of the worst in young Hinata's life. Twice, she rooted for Naruto's success in the graduation exams. In both times, he only wound up failing. Only once before has Hinata's pillow been so wet. The day her mother died.

* * *

**Once again, a 3000 word chapter. I seem forever trapped at that number. If I don't think up some good side events, the next chapter may have to be cut very short.**

**Next Chapter: Shinobi.**


	4. To be Shinobi: Chapter 4

Underlined speech is thought.

Italicized _words_ signify emphasis put on words or a change in tone_._

_Italicized sentences are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is **bolded,** it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is underlined, it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is (underlined), it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. The reverse is true with bolding. If a word is **b**olded at the first letter and underlined at the last, it is when their words are out of sync and Naruto's voice comes first. The reverse is true of thi**s**._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: On her first day in the academy, Hinata saw the boy from when she was three for the first time since then. She recognizes him but doesn't gain all her memories back. After the class tries to pull on their chakra, she learns how much he has. After this, Naruto starts trying to make friends. He fails when he tries for Sakura, but is successful with Shikamaru and Choji. The remainder of the days in the Academy all passed by in a blur. On Hinata's last day in the Academy, she cried in her bed at the knowledge of Naruto's failure.)

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**April 14, 2009: three days after the previous chapter.**

"**To be Shinobi"**

**I am sorry, but it turns out that the chapter was _longer~_ than I expected. So much in fact, I decided to split it up into two chapters. On the down side, this chapter and the next one are the shortest ones. On the plus side, the next chapter is already written. I can promise that it will be out Friday morning at my time.**

Hinata, who was now wearing her headband over her Elemental Gelade instead of a ribbon, rubbed her eyes dry of the still present tears. "Naruto-kun… he tried harder than anyone and he still couldn't pass just because of one jutsu. Why does such a useless jutsu have to decide his future? It is almost as if they were conspiring against him." She let out a long sigh. "There is nothing I can do." She sniffled as another tear came down her left eye. She sighed again as she stood at the doors to Academy.

As usual, she was one of the earliest students. The only one worth mentioning was Shino Aburame. Hinata saw him just one row from the front. She made her way to the top row as she usually did. All of her time waiting was spent trying to hold back the tears that would bring attention to her. Her hands where tightly clamped over each other.

She looked up at the door when she felt a familiar sensation of happiness within her. "It can't be. He failed. Why would he come here to be reminded of that failure, and how can he be happy." Hinata smiled. "He really is the type of person that never lets something get to him, no matter how bad it is. When I saw him on that swing, I couldn't help but feel my spirits drop as far as his. It was even worse when I heard those women badmouthing him."

**Out of the room.**

Naruto smiled widely as he made his way to the room. He was already feeling very happy. Now a sudden burst of happiness filled him; which was crippling despair just an instant ago. It was a strange feeling that only came to him when approached his room. Usually, the feeling is anxiousness and loneliness. It always changed to slight happiness as soon as he walked through the door. If he recently got busted for a prank, it felt like an extra boost of amusement. No matter what, it always felt like someone else's feelings. Naruto opened the door and felt the happiness within him grow even further. He moved up the stairs and took the first available seat. "What are _you_ doing here Naruto? Didn't you fail?"

Naruto pointed at his covered forehead with his thumb. "Can't you see Shikamaru? I passed."

"Troublesome." Shikamaru placed his face back on his desk.

Naruto smiled as he continued waiting for the time to pass. After just a few minutes, he felt the extra emotions that he always felt after just arriving slowly fade like they always did.

Up in her seat, Hinata was feeling the very same type of external emotions fading from within her. She easily realized that these extra emotions were Naruto's. The fact that she could feel his emotions only served as a reason to feel even more strongly about the blond. She understood him better than anyone could ever hope to. She understood his pain, his loneliness, and his determination. Even so, she could never work up the nerve to try to talk to him. Everyone's attention was brought to the door at a very familiar sound; Ino and Sakura.

Naruto smiled as he saw the pink haired girl walking right up to him. "It's Sakura-chan. She's walking straight for me. Maybe she is going to sit next to me."

"OUT OF MY WAY NARUTO!"

He was shoved out of his seat so Sakura could sit next to the person he rather ignore; Sasuke Uchiha. Naruto stood up and hopped onto the desk. He glared at the dark haired boy fiercely. Not being one to ignore such a direct challenge, Sasuke glared back. "What is so _special_ about Sasuke~-kun? All he does is sit there and brood." What happened next shocked everyone, especially Naruto and Sasuke.

Hinata blushed considerably at two different thoughts. First, she thought about how Naruto was currently kissing another boy. The other thought was if it happened to be her who was sitting there. As soon as the two started spitting and sputtering, her blush faded and she laughed softly behind her hand. Unfortunately, her enjoyment was cut short by the angry rampage of Sasuke's fan girls. Now she was giving the very beaten Naruto a look full of worry. "It's okay. Naruto is strong enough to handle something like that. He didn't need my help anyways." She shook her head and looked down reproachfully. "What am I thinking? Even if it would be only a little, I should still help him. I will never be of any use to Naruto-kun."

The door opened once more to reveal Iruka. To some people, he looked like he wasn't moving quite normally. Others also noticed the absence of Mizuki, the person who taught them alongside Iruka. "QUIET." This made certain that he had _everyone's_ attention. "Alright class. As luck would have it, there are enough students here to provide for nine teams. The available team numbers for this class are one, two, four, six, seven, eight, ten, eleven and twelve. Each team will consist of three genin and one jonin. Before you get any ideas, the teams have already been chosen. No matter how much you complain, this setup is final. I will now start calling out teams so pay attention."

Everyone made sure to pay attention to what Iruka said so they wouldn't be clueless to which team they where in and which people where their teammates. Countless girls showed great disappointment at finding out that Sasuke won't be in their team. Most of the boys where rather indifferent at their teammates or happy that one of the two teammates was a friend. "I wonder if I will be on Naruto-kun's team."

"I would like to have Sakura-chan on my team. As for the other person…as long as it isn't Sasuke. Maybe Shikamaru or Choji. It probably won't be another girl considering that every team has had two boys and only one girl."

"Please let it be Sasuke-kun. Please let it be Sasuke-kun."

"Please let it be Sasuke-kun. Please let it be Sasuke-kun."

"Team Seven; Naruto Uzumaki." The blond perked up. "Sakura Haruno." The room had a combination of both elation and despair. "And Sasuke Uchiha." The rolls where quickly reversed, with the addition of a lot more despair from the other girls.

Hinata looked down sadly. "Just as I thought. I will never be on the same team as Naruto-kun. It is never meant to be."

"Team Eight; Shino Aburame, Hinata Hyuga, and Kiba Inuzuka. Team Ten; Choji Akimichi, Ino Yamanaka, and Shikamaru Nara."

"NO~! Not only do I get food boy, but I also get the laziest boy in the class."

"Well, well. Looks like I win this round Pig. Are you going to admit that _I_ am the one destined for Sasuke-kun?"

"Quiet Billboard-brow. Just because you are on the same team, doesn't mean you are meant to be."

Unknown to Ino, her words had and effect on one of the other female members of the class. "Ino is right. Just because Naruto-kun and I are on different teams, it doesn't mean that we aren't meant to be. I shouldn't give up hope until the last moment. That is what Naruto-kun would do."

"Alright class. Now that you know your team assignments; you should have your last lunch break of the academy and come back to wait for your jonin sensei to come and get you. They should start coming in about one and a half hours. That leaves you with plenty of time to relax."

During this time period, nearly everyone decided to spend the time with their new teammates. The only exception to this rule was Team Seven. The first team to return to the room was Team Eight, which annoyed Kiba slightly. When they opened the door, they noticed a woman with long wavy black hair and scarlet eyes. She wore scarlet lipstick and a matching sleeve on one arm. The rest looked like a wide bandage wrapped all around. "Are any of you part of Team Eight?" Each one of them nodded in their own way. "Good. I came early, so I didn't expect to see my potential students. It is nice to know that you three are also early birds. Can you three head for the nearby park?"

She was gone in the next moment. "Wow, I didn't really expect our sensei to be here. Now I am actually happy you two managed to convince me to come in early. Now we can get a leg up on the other teams." Kiba left the room in search of the jonin. Shino and Hinata followed.

It didn't take the three long to reach the designated room, but the jonin was nowhere to be seen. "W-where is she."

Kiba sniffed the air. "Follow me. I managed to catch her scent."

Shino and Hinata nodded as they followed the boy. They soon arrived at a small field that was surrounded by trees. The jonin from before was seated comfortably on a tree stump. "Good, you found me. Considering that each of you three are from a clan with great tracking abilities, you wouldn't deserve to be genin if you couldn't find me. Why don't you three sit down in front of me?"

Since none of them had a problem with the ground, they all did as told. Hinata looked down at the rather imposing gaze of the jonin. "I wonder what we are doing here."

"Alright team; let's start with us getting to know each other. I want to hear your name, your likes, your dislikes, your dreams for the future, etcetera. I will start. I am Kurenai Yuhi and my likes include reading sophisticated literature and simply relaxing at home. My dislikes are perverts and those who can't keep their voices down. As for my dreams for the future, I want to become a kunoichi that becomes an example for future generations of kunoichi. You next Inuzuka-san."

Kiba smiled widely. "I am Kiba Inuzuka and this little guy is Akamaru." The white puppy in his jacket yipped. "I like dogs and most other animals as well. I love training with my partner and my family. I don't hate cats, even though others think I do. I do hate those who like to pick on others weaker than themselves. My dream for the future is to be the strongest leader of the Inuzuka clan ever."

Kurenai nodded at his words. "Those are admirable traits for someone to have. I hope you hold onto them. You're next Hyuga-san."

Hinata blushed now that she had their undivided attention. "I-I am Hi-Hinata Hyuga. I l-like c-cinnamon buns a-and…." She blushed even more and twiddled with her fingers. "I don't l-like people who j-judge s-someone without l-learning about them. M-my dream for the future i-is to become strong e-enough for a-acknowledgment." She took a deep breath at finally being finished.

Kurenai nodded. "You are next Aburame-san."

"I am Shino Aburame. I like plain salads and edible grasses. I dislike foods with strong flavors and/or odors. My dream is to prove that there is more to the Aburame than our fighting methods."

"Short, concise, and to the point. Well done Shino-san. Do you three have any questions?"

Shino stood up. "You called us your potential students earlier." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Ah, you are observant as well. You see, only a third of the academy graduates will become genin on average. Each jonin is required to test their prospective students further to see if they are truly deserving of the title of shinobi. Those who fail are sent back to the academy." Both Kiba and Hinata gulped. Shino simply nodded. "Your test will begin in training ground eight at 8:30 sharp. If you don't know where this is, I suggest that you find out now." She was gone in the next moment.

Shino walked forward and faced both his teammates with his hands in his pockets. "It would be prudent to locate the training ground and amass info on the most opportune ways to utilize the area."

Kiba only looked at him with a very dumbfounded expression as Hinata nodded at Shino's words. "Would you care to explain that again? I didn't quite get it."

Shino pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Ano, S-Shino-kun s-said we should g-get the lay o-of the land."

"Oh~~. Hinata was stuttering and I still understood her better than you. Why didn't _you _say that in the first place Shino?"

"I did."

"Oh well. Let's forget who said what and just check out the training field. At least this leaves us will something to do until dinner. I think we should work on building some teamwork while we are at it."

"That is a decent proposition Kiba-san."

"Eh?"

"A-a good i-idea."

Kiba narrowed his eyes at Shino. "Something tells me that I should buy a thesaurus. If not, then Hinata will have to translate half the things you say." Hinata chuckled and blushed at Kiba's words.

In the next morning, the three waited in the training field just one minute before the set time for the test's beginning. As soon as that minute was up, a kunai landed in front of the three. Shino walked forward and picked up the note that was attached. "Here is your mission. Before 11:30, two of you must manage to touch me. The test will end at the mentioned time or when the second person makes contact. If you fail to touch me, you will be sent back to the academy." Shino finished reading the paper. "It appears that one will return to the academy regardless of the outcome."

Kiba quickly became annoyed. "WHAT'S THAT ABOUT? WE SPEND ALL THIS TIME PREPARING AND SHE PULLS SOMETHING LIKE THIS! IF I GET MY HANDS ON HER, I AM GOING TO KILL HER!"

"Placate yourself Kiba-san. Kurenai-sensei is of jonin rank."

Hinata's eyes widened. "It _can't_ be. I don't want one of them to fail; but I don't want to fail either. I wish that there was a way for us to make her have to pass all of us." Hinata gained an eureka expression. "That's it." Hinata narrowed her eyes a bit. "There it is. Kurenai-sensei just used some chakra. I should be able to locate her if she doesn't move." She turned to her teammates. "Ano, I-I have an i-idea."

* * *

**Once again, sorry for what happened to the chapter. I didn't' really want to make my readers wait for the story to pick up. Like I said, look out for the next chapter Friday.**

**Don't be disheartened by the unchanged team setup. That's only so I can do more interesting things in the future.  
**

**Next Chapter: The Fated Mission.**


	5. The Fated Mission: Chapter 5

Underlined speech is thought.

Italicized _words_ signify emphasis put on words or a change in tone_._

_Italicized sentences are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is **bolded,** it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is underlined, it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is (underlined), it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. The reverse is true with bolding. If a word is **b**olded at the first letter and underlined at the last, it is when their words are out of sync and Naruto's voice comes first. The reverse is true of thi**s**._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: Hinata showed great despair as she made her way back to her last day in the academy. She felt this way because she knew that the boy she cared most about failed the test and will never become a genin. This turned out to be false as she felt his presence outside of the room. Moments later, everyone is collected into the room and Iruka showed up. He immediately went into an explanation on how the teams will be set up and how no one can change anything. Much to Hinata's disappointment she finds out that she is not to be on the same team as Naruto. Fortunately, her teammates turn out to be decent. After being the first ones to meet their jonin, they start to get to know each other. On the next day, they start the exercise that will decide which two of the three will become genin. In this moment of confusion, it is Hinata who comes up with a plan.)

* * *

**April 17, three days after the previous chapter.**

"**The Fated Mission"**

**Here is the second chapter that I promised. I hope that my few hundred readers enjoy it completely. You people are the main reason I am writing anyways. Of course reviews aren't bad either. Speaking of which, I have noticed how the number of reviews lowers with each chapter. I hope this trend doesn't continue.**

**PS: I noticed something very interesting. The number of visitors for the first and last chapters are nearly the same, but the numbers are lower for the other chapters. I am guessing that these are people who don't know that you can go straight to the newest chapter by clicking the the double arrows next to the story's title instead of clicking the title then choosing the last chapter out of the list.  
**

Hinata spent the next minute explaining her idea to her team. When she finished, Shino nodded. "Your proposition has merit Hinata-san."

"Okay, I know what proposition means now, but what is merit."

"V-value is a g-good word."

Kiba nodded as Shino continued. "Even with previous exercises on collaboration, this will be arduous. Although I find it personally distasteful, the slowest should go first."

"Okay, even though I didn't get that first sentence, the second is enough. Now all we have to do is find Kurenai-sensei. I say we start where that kunai came from."

"N-no." Hinata blushed when both boys looked at her. "I-it might be best to t-try somewhere else. I s-sense Kurenai-s-sensei molding h-her chakra a sh-short time a-ago."

Kiba became excited. "Does that mean that you can tell where someone else is if they are using a jutsu. That is so cool."

"N-not exactly. I c-can only f-feel when they a-are molding ch-chakra. Once the j-jutsu is activated, I-I can n-no longer feel i-it."

Shino nodded. "Can you sense jutsu that consume chakra continuously." Hinata simply shook her head no. "Lead us to the initial location."

Hinata nodded as she blushed a bit. "Hai." She made her way to the spot with a smile on her face. "I can't believe it. They actually trust me. I _won't_ just be a burden to them."

"Stop." Both Shino and Hinata did as Kiba said. "Hinata was right, Kurenai-sensei was over here. Her scent is all over here. Follow me." The two followed as Kiba took the lead. He soon stopped. "She's over here somewhere."

"L-let me." Hinata ran through some hand-seals. "Byakugan." Veins bulged on the sides of her eyes. Hinata pointed up at a tree. "Th-there she is."

It was finally Shino's turn. Swarms of tiny black insects flew out of his sleeves and to the location. Kurenai watched in her genjutsu hidden location. "I guess that there is no point in hiding any more." She canceled her jutsu and jumped down to a lower branch, only to be flanked by Kiba and Hinata. She jumped away from them. She was surprised when Shino appeared behind her. He quickly grabbed her arm and prepared to swing her. The problem was that she was a jonin. Kurenai gripped his arm and pulled him in front of her before kicking him into a tree. "Looks like Shino-san is going to pass. Strange, Hinata-san and Kiba-san didn't even try to get me. They purposely made sure that Shino-san would get me. It seems they already get it."

Kiba and Hinata moved in as soon as it was confirmed that Shino passed. Kurenai continued to move back until she noticed a cloud of insects behind her. She jumped down and forward to avoid getting caught. Hinata and Kiba where already there. Kiba smiled. "Everything is going according to plan."

Kurenai suddenly let out the killer intent that came with being a jonin. Kiba was rather unfazed, but Hinata was trembling. "I wonder~." Kurenai turned to Kiba and ran straight for him. The boy's eyes widened at this action. He quickly jumped out of the way. Kurenai smirked at this action. "So that is what you three were planning. First, you made sure that the slowest member of your team managed to touch me first. That was Shino-san. After that point, it was planned for the two of you to touch me at the same time. That way, I would have to pass you both." Kiba's and Hinata's eyes widened. "Can any of you tell me the purpose behind this test."

Shino appeared in front of Kurenai. "The purpose is the collaboration with comrades and putting them ahead of yourself."

"That is correct Shino-san. Because you three have already proven that you can do this, all of you pass."

Kiba smiled widely. "YAHOO~!" Hinata settled for smiling softly.

"You are now team eight. Because you are now officially my students, I will start calling each of you directly by name. Our first mission will start after we have lunch. We will train until then."

The days passed by for the starting genin as they continued to take on D-ranked missions. The three teams that passed where teams Seven, Eight, and Ten. Many weeks later on a morning, Team Eight made there way to the Hokage's office to turn in the results for yet another mission. By some strange burst of luck or fate, the mission was over twice as fast as it normally would have been. As they approached the building, Hinata began to feel an extra source of emotion. It gave off a sense of annoyance. Her eyes widened. "This feeling, it's Naruto-kun. He's in the mission room right now. I am finally going to see him after all this time." She chuckled a bit. "I wonder why he is confused right now."

**In the mission room.**

Naruto suddenly became quiet. "It's that feeling again. Now it feels like happiness and anxiousness. I thought that I would stop feeling it after becoming a genin. I wonder what causes it."

"Well Naruto-kun, weren't you complaining about not being able to go on better missions."

Naruto quickly regained himself. "That's right. There is no way I can become Hokage chasing cats, walking dogs, and weeding gardens. I want a real mission."

Hiruzen sighed. "If that is how you feel, then there is no way I can change your mind. I will assign you a C-ranked mission."

Iruka, who was also present, looked at the Hokage will a pleading expression. "Hokage-sama, you can't be serious. They are just out of the academy. They are not ready for a mission like that."

The door to the room suddenly opened. Through it came the members of Team Eight. "Well if it isn't the class looser. I am surprised that you didn't make your team fail."

"CAN IT DOG BREATH!"

As Naruto and Kiba bickered, Kurenai walked up to the Hokage. "Hokage-sama; pardon the intrusion."

"I wonder. This could be a perfect chance to bring about something like what happened over nine years ago. Hiashi may not like me for it though. There is still the chance it won't happen anyways. No worries Kurenai-san. Your timing is perfect. Thanks to Naruto-kun's insistence, I decided to offer them a C-ranked mission. Unfortunately, Iruka-san is against the idea. This is where you come in. I am hoping that you would offer one of your students while the others stay here doing other missions."

Kurenai and Kakashi, who was listening discreetly, had widened eyes, or eye, at the Hokage's proposition. "That is rather unorthodox Hokage-sama. Which of my students do you have in mind."

"I was thinking along the lines of Hinata Hyuga. From what I have been told, she has difficulty acting when faced with a challenge. I am hoping that completing a mission of higher difficulty will improve her self-esteem." Both jonin nodded at the logic behind the Hokage's choice. Does this suit you Iruka-san.

Iruka let out a sigh. "It is better than nothing. Hinata certainly could use the confidence boost. QUIET!" The fighting between Kiba and Naruto was silenced.

"Arigato Iruka-san. Because of Naruto-kun's request, I have decided to assign Team Seven a C-ranked mission. That is not all though. Because it is not usual for genin this fresh to get missions like this, I decided to pull a member from Team Eight to aid in the mission."

Kiba crossed his arms. "There is no _way_ I am going, even _if_ it is a C-ranked mission."

Hinata's eyes widened. "I can't believe it. A chance to go on a mission with Naruto-kun's team. It is like a dream come true."

"The person that I chose to go on the mission is Hinata Hyuga." The young girl felt her heart skip a beat. "Before this decision is final, I would like to see what everyone in Team Seven thinks of this."

He quickly took notice that Kakashi and Sasuke were completely impassive. Sakura was glaring at the girl. "She better not try and make a move on Sasuke. It is always the quiet ones you have to watch out for."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Well~, if I had to choose, I rather have Hinata anyways."

As Hinata nearly had a conniption, Hiruzen nodded. "Looks like a tie. Will the members of Team Eight give me their opinions."

Shino and Kurenai simply nodded in approval. Kiba crossed his arms and became thoughtful. "I guess it isn't a bad idea. I don't have a problem with it." Akamaru yipped in agreement.

Hiruzen nodded. "That is good. Now all we need is Hinata's opinion on the matter."

She quickly snapped out of her stupor, but still had her bright blush. "H-h-h-hai. I-I-I'll go."

Hiruzen nodded. "Well Sakura-chan, it seems that it is seven against one." Akamaru yipped. "Eight if you include Akamaru. Will the remaining members of Team Eight please step aside." Kurenai, Shino, and the Inuzuka pair moved over to a side wall. "You can come in now Tazuna-san."

An old man with a bit of a beer belly walked into the room. He looked at Team Seven plus Hinata with a bored expression. "Are you kidding me. I paid for shinobi, not for snot-nosed brats. The two short ones look especially pitiful."

Hinata looked down sadly as Naruto laughed. "Man, I wonder who those are." He quickly noticed that he was the shortest, with Hinata being just two centimeters taller than him.

He prepared to attack, only to be stopped by Kakashi. "It is not good to kill the client before the mission even begins Naruto-kun."

Naruto stopped and glared. "I'M GOING TO BE HOKAGE! AND HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT HINATA IS WEAK WHEN YOU HAVEN'T SEEN HER IN ACTION!"

Hinata's eyes widened. "Naruto-kun defended me. He actually defended me."

Tazuna snorted. "I don't have time to be dealing with this. Just know that I hired you to protect me from bandits and the like on my way to Wave Country. I want to leave as soon as possible. Meet me at your main gate in about three hours."

All the original genin of Team Seven had the same thought. "Not going to happen."

Kakashi eye-smiled at his now four charges. "Alright team, I expect all of you to be on time." They all narrowed their eyes excluding Hinata.

**Three hours latter.**

Everyone was there at the gate excluded one certain man. "Where is that jonin?"

Naruto growled under his breath. "I knew it. That man has to be late for everything." Sasuke and Sakura only accepted this silently.

Hinata simply stood there twiddling with her fingers. "Come on, you can do it. There is no reason not to talk to him."

Even with the mental encouragement, it took Hinata half and hour to work up the courage to say anything. "Yo."

"YOU'RE LATE." This was the Naruto/Sakura yell.

"_Gomen_. I tripped and fell on my knee. I had to get a new pair of pants and disinfect the wound."

"YOU'RE A JONIN." Once again, Naruto/Sakura.

Kakashi sweat-dropped and jumped down. "Since we are all here, lets get this show on the road."

The group of six walked through the gate and made their way down the road. They all surrounded Tazuna in a diamond formation with Kakashi standing even further back. In front of him was Hinata. Naruto took the right while Sakura took the left. Sasuke was in the front. Trying to be professional, Hinata tried to keep her focus on Tazuna. "This is strange. Tazuna-san seems to be trouble for some reason."

**A mile away from the group.**

A pair of men looked on at their target with a pair of binoculars. "What do you think Meizu?"

"The problems exist with that jonin and the Hyuga girl. If we can just eliminate those two, then we can make it impossible for Zabuza-sama to fail. I doubt this will be necessary since the other three look too weak to handle us anyways. Let's set the trap Gouzu."

**Back with the original group.**

Hinata suddenly started looking around nervously. "Did someone just use some chakra. What if it is some enemy shinobi." She shook her head side to side. "No, it can't~ be. It must have been one of the others playing with their chakra because of boredom. That is why it was so faint."

Being the only one with Hinata in plain view, Kakashi narrowed his eye. "That is odd. Hinata-san became greatly nervous just a moment ago. Since her Byakugan is inactive, she shouldn't have been able to see anything I can't. How strange." Minutes passed by as a single puddle came into view. Kakashi's eye widened. "It can't be. The coincidence is too great. How was she able to tell. This is defiantly worth questioning. First things first though. Lets see how the genin do."

The group passed by the puddle a few seconds ago. Hinata's eyes widened suddenly. The same way she can sense the preparation of a jutsu, she can also sense it's canceling. She looked back to see that she was too late. "KAKASHI-SENSEI!"

Because the terrified scream caught everyone's attention, they all watched as Kakashi was ripped to shreds by a spiked chain attached to the clawed gloves two men were wearing. Being closest to the scene, Hinata was frozen in fear. "One down."

"Five to go."

The Hyuga couldn't think as the frightening men made a beeline for her. "HINATA, WATCH OUT!" The next thing she knew, she was on the ground with Naruto right over her. His right hand was interlocked with her own and his left arm was wrapped around her waist. As they looked into each other's eyes, their minds pulsated.

Memories that they lost long ago returned to their minds at last. As this happened, their voices acted independently of their thoughts. A column of visible winds surrounded both of them.

_O**n** a helples**s** bu**t** prett**y** **(**nigh**t)**  
Soothin**g** an**d** comfortin**g**  
An**d** prospering on the (eyelids)  
Surrounded by the lively and bright fields of **(**heaven**)**  
As (I), at this moment  
Make this promise to join like (twins)  
Like a string of breaths  
Winds grab a hold of (us)  
I, at this moment  
And through (eternity)  
Wear the winds of the red soul  
As I make this promise**  
(**And bind my soul to yours**)**_

A bright flash of light emanated from the spot where they stood. When the light and wind was gone, everyone's eyes widened at the sight. Naruto now stood there with a massive sword that was at least thirty percent longer than he was tall on his right arm. The way light shined on the weapon captured everyone's attention. The large sword could only be described with one word;... beautiful.

* * *

**Here it is people. The chapter you have all been waiting for. Thanks to the head start created by the mistake, the next chapter should be well into the works. Don't expect a chapter earlier than three days later though.**

**Next Chapter: A Great Power.**


	6. A Great Power: Chapter 6

Underlined speech is thought.

Italicized _words_ signify emphasis put on words or a change in tone_._

_Italicized sentences are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is **bolded,** it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is underlined, it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is (underlined), it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. The reverse is true with bolding. If a word is **b**olded at the first letter and underlined at the last, it is when their words are out of sync and Naruto's voice comes first. The reverse is true of thi**s**._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: Because of the circumstances surrounding their genin exam, Team Eight trusted in Hinata for a plan. After that was finished, they began their search for there potential sensei. By combining their skills, they are able to quickly find her. As per their plan, Shino is the first to earn the right of passing. The others earned that right simply by trying to touch Kurenai at the same time. Their time as fresh genin quickly flew by. As luck would have it, they came in on Team Seven as they were about to get their first C-ranked mission. Hinata winds up tagging along. While on the road, the demon brothers attack them. After Naruto prevents Hinata's death, the two react.)

* * *

**April 20, 2009; three days after previous chapter.**

**There are two things I want to say. First, Hinata will be the only Edel Raid in this story. Second, an anonymous reviewer calling himself asked about bashing. Whether you consider it bashing or not depends on your point of view. I don't plan on anything excessive. Characters will only be jerks to necessary levels, no more.**

"**A Great Power"**

_O**n** a helples**s** bu**t** prett**y** **(**nigh**t)**  
Soothin**g** an**d** comfortin**g**  
An**d** prospering on the (eyelids)  
Surrounded by the lively and bright fields of **(**heaven**)**  
As (I), at this moment  
Make this promise to join like (twins)  
Like a string of breaths  
Winds grab a hold of (us)  
I, at this moment  
And through (eternity)  
Wear the winds of the red soul  
As I make this promise**  
****(**And bind my soul to yours**)**_

The light surrounding Naruto and Hinata faded with the wind. As the wind disappeared, it created a soft high pitched tone. Everyone who looked on at this was too shocked to do much of anything. This also included Naruto. "I remember now. Back when I was three, a man ran into me. He was carrying a tied up girl. I tried to free her, but I couldn't. All of a sudden, I had this weapon." Naruto held the weapon so that it was pointed at the sky. "It's as light as a feather."

The demon brothers narrowed their eyes when Naruto started moving the weapon. "That thing may be big, and he can move it easily. We have to remove it." Moving as synchronized as their thoughts, they charged forward and wrapped their chain all around the weapon. They soon forced Naruto into a two on one tug-of-war.

As Naruto pulled against them, he was forced to look behind himself. His eyes widened in shock. Behind him floated the bare form of Hinata. Everything below the neck was too transparent to discern any details outside of a glowing green outline. Her face was clearly visible though. Her pale eyes spoke of great shock rivaling Naruto's. His attention broke from her eyes as he noticed an emerald green gem fixed upon Hinata's forehead. "What is that?"

He broke his attention from Hinata's form as the two shinobi started pulling him forward. "Why won't this sword come off of him? How attached is it."

Not fond of the idea of those two winning, Naruto turned the blade away from him and swung it through the air. In the middle of this swing, the chains where shattered completely. The demon brothers where sent flying behind Naruto. One of them slammed into a tree with enough force to knock him unconscious. The other rolled on the ground and stood up. "Not good. I have to kill Tazuna before this mission gets out of hand."

He charged for the old man with his clawed gloves at the ready. His eyes widened when the black haired one got in his way. "Not likely." As his claw was deflected downward by a kunai, the genin spun over him and landed a solid kick to the back of his head. He quickly joined his partner in dream realm. Sasuke broke his attention away from the man and looked at Naruto. "Were does a dobe like him get a weapon like that. He was able to fling those two away like they were nothing."

The sword started to fade into a green light. As this happened, Hinata fazed into view. She had on the same wide-eyed expression as when Naruto looked back at her. She skipped the blushing stage and went straight into fainting. Being the closest one there, Naruto caught her. Because it would take some kind of baka to not realize what that weapon was, Naruto could only look at her sleeping form with wide eyes.

A slow series of clapping caught everyone's attention. They turned to see Kakashi standing there as if nothing happened. If this attack went by normally, everyone would be wondering how he survived. Because of how abnormal it was, they were more interested in what just happened with Naruto. Kakashi was first to break the silence. "I have to say that what just happened here was very impressive." He turned to Sasuke. "Sasuke… you did well in taking care of that last one." He turned to Naruto. "As for you Naruto, I am very curious about what you and Hinata did just then. Unfortunately, I feel as if it will be a long story." He turned to Tazuna. "The more pressing matter here is why that last one aimed for you, even though you are the lowest threat."

Tazuna took a step back and donned a worried expression. "W-what are you talking about? Don't you think that your students are worth looking at?"

Kakashi turned to Naruto, whose eyes were half open. He soon fell to the ground with Hinata on top of him. "Hum~." He turned back to Tazuna. "Looks like both of them are in no condition to talk about anything. But~, I guess I can wait until they wake up before making you talk. What you say will affect the entire team after all."

After an indeterminable amount of time, Naruto began to wake up in the middle of the forest. He quickly noticed that his head was leaning up against something. He looked over and noticed a head of dark blue hair. It soon registered who was the only one with that kind of hair. In a frantic effort, he quickly moved away. Without the leverage, the girl fell to the ground. Surprise was quickly replaced by worry. He began moving around her while waving his hands around. "Oh-man.-What-do-I-do?-I-I-I-I-I-know.-I-I'll-give-her-my-jumpsuit."

As he unzipped his jumpsuit, Hinata began to wake up thanks to the short fall. She opened her eyes to see Naruto in just his black tee-shirt. "He looks good." She immediately blushed and moved away.

Naruto noticed this and stopped trying to turn the lump of orange into a pillow. He reached out with his free hand. "A-are you okay? You look a bit red."

Hinata nodded dumbly. "What just happened? I remember what happened nine years ago and I know that I did it again. But… what _did_ I do?"

"Hey there sleepyheads." They looked up to see Kakashi looking down at them with his eye curled up in a U-shape. "We have been waiting for quite a while for you two to wake up. It is less than an hour until nightfall." He jumped down to the ground. "I suggest you two come with me."

After what was hardly a minute, they reached where the other three were. Sakura was the first to react. "CAN YOU TWO TELL US WHAT JUST HAPPENED THERE?!"

Kakashi began moving his hands in a placating manner. "Now, now… no need to yell. We will get to that eventually. We should first learn what Tazuna has to say, eh." He turned his eye smile to the old man.

Tazuna sighed at knowing he was stuck in a corner. "As you probably figured out, there is more to this than a simple escort. My home has been under the thumb of a tyrannical man who has taken control over all the shipping. On an island like where I live, if you own the shipping, you own everything. The man's name is Gato."

Kakashi rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Do you mean Gato of Gato's trade and shipping. He is one of the richest and most powerful men in the world."

"That wasn't enough for him. Now he has to suck everything out of my village as well. That is why I lied to you. Because of him, we could only scrounge up enough money for a C-ranked mission. The only way to defeat Gato is to finish the bridge I am working on."

Kakashi continued rubbing his chin. "Just as I thought. This mission is actually B-ranked at the least. This is a bit much for a group of fresh genin to take on, even if there is one extra. We may have to turn back."

"NO!" Everyone looked at Naruto. "This is our first mission out of Konoha and you expect us to just quit. NO! If I am going to be a great shinobi, I don't want to be known for abandoning my first mission."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "I have to agree with the dobe. I want to see more of that Hyuga's power."

"If Sasuke-kun is going, then I am going." Sakura stepped forward.

Kakashi let out a sigh before turning to Hinata. "Hinata, this really isn't your team. Regardless of everyone else's decision, you are free to leave at any time."

Hinata clenched her fists. "I-I'll go."

Kakashi let out a sigh. "Kurenai isn't going to like it if she gets hurt or traumatized. Let's not forget how she was obviously the one who turned into that weapon Naruto-kun had. Although a part of me thinks the Kyūbi may have something to do with it, another part highly doubts it. We'll just have to find out later." He turned to Tazuna. "Looks like everyone accepts being a part of this mission. We should get moving tomorrow."

"No, we can't do that. I have someone waiting to ferry us across the water. If we take too long, he will probably think that I am dead and will leave without us."

Kakashi sighed. "I guess that there is nothing that we can do. You four have~ been trained for high speed travel over long distances, right?" All of the genin nodded. "Good. I will carry Tazuna on my back. The rest of you will have to keep up. We will sleep on the boat for as long as possible before making our way to Tazuna's village. I would like us to rest after reaching land, but I don't think we should leave ourselves defenseless at any time." He turned to Naruto and Hinata. "Will you two be able to explain what happened between you two along the way?" Hinata blushed but Naruto nodded.

Kakashi returned the nod and allowed Tazuna to climb onto his back. He began running along the path with the genin behind him. After a short time of silence, Naruto began. "I don't really know what happened either. I _did _remember that this wasn't the first time this happened, right Hinata."

The Hyuga nodded. "N-Naruto-kun is r-right. I-it happened w-when I t-turned three."

Kakashi looked up thoughtfully. "I heard about what happened to you when you turned three Hinata. If I remember correctly, you were nearly kidnapped on that day. Your father incapacitated the assailant and rescued you. Are you saying that this isn't what happened?"

"H-hai. H-he tripped over s-something a-and dropped m-me."

Naruto chuckled. "I remember that. He tripped over me. I saw Hinata tied up and tried to help. Suddenly, I had that sword. I don't really remember what happened after that."

"I-I do. H-he tried to a-attack. A-all I remember i-is hitting him."

Kakashi nodded. "Do any of you know what could be the cause of this ability?"

"I-I have an i-idea." Everyone looked at Hinata as she lifted up her headband.

Each of them had some kind of reaction to what they saw. Tazuna chuckled a bit. "Well little girl… that is a pretty gem you have there. Is it stuck there?" Hinata nodded. "Well, it may be best to keep that hidden when we get back to my village. Some people may decide that the money may be worth ripping it off."

She gasped and quickly covered it up. "You shouldn't say that Tazuna. _But,_ I have never seen anything like it. What is it?"

"E-elemental Gelade."

He turned to Hinata. "Eh, Elemental Gelade? Is that what you call that gem?" Hinata nodded. "That is an interesting name. Now I am sure that this is the first time that I heard of one. I am pretty sure now that your transformation has absolutely nothing to do with Naruto, but with the Elemental Gelade. It is an ability that is yours alone. Tell me… have you transformed for anyone else." Hinata shook her head no. "I see. I don't think that you two should do it again. Both of you were asleep for a long time." Both Naruto and Hinata nodded.

The other people there also had their own take on what happened. "I wish I could do what Hinata can. What I wouldn't give to be able to fight along Sasuke-kun like that. I would have his love for sure."

"I don't care if that power makes the users fall asleep. If I could obtain that Hyuga's power for myself, it will bring me one step closer to finally killing my brother. All I need to do is prove to her that I am the best person to use her. That shouldn't be hard considering that the dobe is my only competition. I _will_ have her for myself."

As she thought about what just happened, Hinata looked down and smiled a bit. "All this time, I thought that I would never be of any use to anyone. Now I don't know what to think."

"We were awesome back there. With Hinata here, we can take out even the strongest shinobi. They won't stand a chance."

As time continued to pass, the members of the group began showing their fatigue. Tazuna was already asleep on Kakashi's back. Sakura was struggling to keep her eyes open. Sasuke's eyes and head tended to droop occasionally. Kakashi in all his years of experience looked no worse for wear when compared to the moment they started running. Hinata and Naruto were doing very well as well thanks to the long period they spent sleeping. "You two; I have a few more questions that have been bothering me. First, where did you get the name Elemental Gelade? I never heard of anything being called that. Did you make it up yourself?"

Hinata shook her head. "N-no. I-I got it from a-a dream."

"Interesting. Do you remember any details?"

"H-hai. The w-woman who t-told me had l-long hair t-that was the s-same color as t-the sky. Her G-Gelade was t-the same as m-mine. She w-was surrounded i-in a green g-glow."

Naruto clapped his fist into the other hand. "I just remembered. When I was pulling back against those two, I could see Hinata floating behind me. She had a green glow around her too. I could also see her Ge~ Gelade on her head."

Kakashi tapped his chin. "Wasn't her headband covering it?"

"She didn't have any clothes." As Hinata blushed enough to provide light, Naruto was sent rolling across the ground thanks to Sakura's punch. "Ita-ta-ta-ta-ta. What was that for Sakura-chan?"

Everyone stopped and Kakashi sweat-dropped. "YOU SHOULDN'T BE PEEPING ON GIRLS!"

"HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW SHE WAS THERE?! IT ISN'T LIKE I COULD SEE ANY DETAILS ANYWAYS!" Hinata let out a long breath that she was holding in.

"Now, now team. There is no need to be fighting right now. If Naruto says that he didn't see anything, then he didn't. All this energy is better spent on getting to our destination, ne?"

Sakura crossed her arms. "Fine, but if that pervert tries to get a look at me, I am sending him on a one-way trip back to Konoha."

Kakashi laughed nervously. "I highly doubt that she is strong enough to do that. Let's go team." He turned and continued down the road. Everyone quickly started following. "I have one more thing I want to say, but that might not be wise at the time. Sasuke has been leering at Hinata ever since we started running. I don't want to give him more reason's to want her power."

As they ran, Hinata caught up with Naruto. "Ano, t-t-take this."

She held out as small brown container. "What's this Hinata?"

"F-for y-your w-wounds. I-I-It'll help t-them heal."

Naruto took the container in his hands and began inspecting it. He twisted the cap off and scrapped off some of the salve with his finger. He put it on his a scratch that was on his hand thanks to a rock on the path. The wound healed in the next second. "Wow Hinata, this stuff is amazing. Thanks a lot."

Her eyes were wide for a moment before she switched to a small smile. "Y-your w-welcome Naruto-kun." She moved back to where she was. "My healing cream shouldn't have made his cut heal that fast. The amazing one is you Naruto-kun."

After a fair amount of time, they arrived at the place where the boat was set to ferry the across. Kakashi set Tazuna inside as the genin climbed aboard. Everyone leaned back and tried to get as much rest as possible. Sakura and Sasuke were out instantly. Kakashi turned his attention to the other two. "This may be the most interesting thing that has ever happened to me on a mission. I hope I live to see what these two are capable of in the future."

They reached the shore and were forced to wake up Sasuke, Sakura, and Tazuna. The three were pretty cranky. The shinobi were because of the lack of sleep and Tazuna was because of his age. It was morning out as the group made their way down the path that will lead them to Tazuna's village. Naruto seemed to be on high alert. "An enemy." Without warning, he tossed a kunai into the forest.

Hinata's eyes widened seconds before it was revealed to be a rabbit. They still remained wide. "NARUTO~ YOU BAKA!"

Naruto moved forward and picked up the white rabbit, narrowly dodging Sakura's punch without even realizing it. "Oh~ you poor bunny. I am so~ sorry."

Normally, Hinata would be thinking about how cute Naruto look, but she was still worried. "I sensed someone using chakra again."

"EVERYONE DOWN!" Kakashi pushed Tazuna and Sakura into a duck as Hinata was forced to do the same for Naruto. Sasuke managed to react on his own. A massive zanbatō sailed through the air and embedded itself high into a tree. A man with bandages around his mouth and cow print pants stood on the weapon's hilt. Kakashi looked up at the man. "Zabuza Momochi."

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**I think I am getting pretty bad about ending chapters like this. At least it leaves you wanting to read more. Let me promise you readers this. Chapter seven is _AWESOME~~_! I feel really good about it.  
**

**Next Chapter: The Second Song.**


	7. The Second Song: Chapter 7

Underlined speech is thought.

Italicized _words_ signify emphasis put on words or a change in tone_._

_Italicized sentences are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is bolded, it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is underlined, it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is (underlined), it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. The reverse is true with bolding. If a word is **b**olded at the first letter and underlined at the last, it is when their words are out of sync and Naruto's voice comes first. The reverse is true of thi**s**._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: After the react, Naruto quickly deals with one of the shinobi by swinging both back. Sasuke takes care of the other one. After Kakashi appears, Naruto and Hinata fall asleep. After they woke up, the situation behind the events are explained. On the way, Hinata and Naruto talk about how they met in the past and Hinata told them what she knew about her abilities. After crossing the water, they continue along the path to Tazuna's village. On the way, they run into the dangerous missing nin, Zabuza Momochi.)

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**April 23, 2009; three days after previous chapter.**

**Just to warn you, the first half of this chapter is pretty much copied from canon, with the addition of Hinata's presence. It is the second half that is awesome. Someone actually said that I shouldn't make Hinata's weapon form stronger than Zabuza. I hope that what I wrote satisfies.**

"**The Second Song."**

"If it isn't the notorious missing nin Zabuza Momochi. I never expected to run into you on this mission."

The man chuckled. "It is quite an honor for the~ Kakashi Hatake to be able to recognize me with only one glance."

"Don't be too surprised. Reading happens to be a hobby of mine. I tend to pick up the bingo-book occasionally. Considering that it is you, I may need _this_." Kakashi lifted his headband and revealed the eye beneath it.

Sasuke quickly took noticed. "It can't be. Where in the world did he get that?"

Zabuza chuckled. "I tend to pick up the bingo-book every now and then as well. You are the shinobi who is fabled to have copied over one-thousand jutsu, Sharingan Kakashi. I wonder what good it will do you. Hidden Mist Jutsu." Everyone was quickly frozen in fear by the waves of killer intent. "There are so many ways to kill someone. The jugular, spine, head, heart, liver, kidneys, lungs; which one should I strike.

Sasuke trembled uncontrollably. "This air, it's suffocating me. This is the air around jonin ready to kill at a moments notice. I can't take it any more."

"Calm down." Sasuke looked up at Kakashi. Both eyes were shaped as a U. "I will not let my comrades die. This I promise."

"Try paying attention then." Zabuza suddenly appeared in-between all of the genin and Tazuna. He prepared to swing his large sword. Kakashi stopped him with a kunai in the chest as the others leapt away.

"Did he get him?"

The Zabuza bled water before turning into a puddle. Hinata noticed another Zabuza coming from behind. "KAKASHI-SENSEI!"

He was sliced in half, only to turn into water as well. Another Kakashi appeared behind Zabuza and held a kunai at his neck. "It's over. I'd advise you to give up right now Zabuza."

Zabuza chuckled. "Very impressive Sharingan Kakashi. You were able to imitate my Water Clone Jutsu even through that thick mist. I am~ impressed. You even managed to distract me with your water clone by making me think that it was the real thing. Thanks for the idea." Those _four_ words came from behind. Kakashi had to duck to avoid a swing from the sword. Using that momentum as the sword hit the ground; Zabuza rotated around Kakashi and kicked him into the water. He began running for him but stopped. "Spikes, like these will slow me down." He disappeared.

Kakashi pulled himself out of the water. "This water… it seems heavy."

His eyes widened as Zabuza appeared behind him. "You baka. Water Style: Water Prison Jutsu." A large sphere of water formed around Kakashi and Zabuza's right hand. "You may have intentionally come into the lake, but that was a mistake. Now you are my prisoner."

Naruto stepped forward. "KAKASHI-SENSEI!"

Hinata's eyes were wide and her hands were trembling. "No… I was completely useless. If I wasn't' so scared, I could have used my Byakugan to help out. Now it's too late."

Zabuza formed a single hand-seal with his remaining hand. "Water Clone Jutsu." Another copy of Zabuza formed in front of him. This Zabuza stepped onto land. "You brats annoy me. Do you actually think that wearing those headbands makes you shinobi? Only when you have had so many brushes with death that it doesn't faze you; only when you appear in my bingo book, will I call you a shinobi." The clone disappeared.

Naruto's eyes widened. "Where did he…." Naruto was suddenly sent back by a kick in the gut. The blow made his headband come off. The blond rolled on the ground for a few seconds. He crawled backwards as the clone moved in. "No way. If this keeps up, I'm going to die."

Kakashi pushed against the confines of his water prison. "EVERYONE, YOU HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE! TAKE TAZUNA AND RUN! HIS WATER CLONE CAN'T TRAVEL FAR FROM THE ORIGINAL BODY!"

As Naruto looked up, he noticed the clone stepping on his headband. His eyes widened. "That is the headband Iruka-sensei gave me. What would he say if he saw me cowering like this?" His expression changed to a determined one. "I won't give up." Naruto charged straight for him.

Hinata stepped forward with tears in her eyes. "NARUTO-KUN, DON'T!"

The Zabuza clone looked at him with an annoyed expression. "Baka." Drops of blood flew into the air as the clone kicked Naruto away. "Did you honestly think that you would be able to do anything to me with such a direct attack?"

Naruto smirked as he pushed himself off of the ground. In his hand was the headband that the clone was standing on just moments ago. Sakura looked at this in surprise. "That is what he was after."

Naruto grabbed the cloth by both ends and tied it back onto his head. "Hey, you eyebrow-less freak. Put _this_ in your bingo book. Naruto Uzumaki, future Hokage… he never backs down."

Hinata's face lit up at Naruto's words. "That's right. Naruto-kun never gives up. No matter how useless others tell him it is, or how difficult is actually is for him; he never gives in. That is just who he is."

Naruto smirked as he finished tying his headband. "Hey Sasuke. I have a plan. Up for giving it a try?"

Sasuke smirked. "Looks like he doesn't even want to use the Hyuga. That is fine with me. There's no way I'm letting you do all the work."

"Alright. Let's get wild."

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! I TOLD YOU TO RUN! THIS BATTLE ENDED THE MOMENT I WAS CAPTURED! DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?! TAKE TAZUNA AND RUN!"

Naruto turned to Tazuna with a questioning expression. "Hey, it is my fault that your sensei is even my situation. If you want to save him, then I'm not going anywhere."

"Hear that Kakashi-sensei. Looks like we have no choice."

The Zabuza clone suddenly started laughing. "You brats are still insisting on playing shinobi. When I was your age, these hands were already stained with blood.

Kakashi turned his eyes to the Zabuza that captured him. "Zabuza, the demon of Kiri."

"So you know about that. Would you care to enlighten the others?"

Kakashi sighed. "Years ago, Kiri was once known as the Bloody Mist. This is because of the genin exams. Child pairs who spent their whole academy lives together were force to kill the other or fail. This was changed ten years ago thanks to the demon that came the year before."

"And that demon was me. Those were fun days." The clone charged forward and punched Naruto. Sasuke moved in and was brought to the ground. Zabuza stomped on his chest.

"SASUKE-KUN."

"Crap." Naruto formed the cross-shaped hand-seal. "MULTI-SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!"

The Zabuza clone looked around with mild interest on his face. "The Shadow Clone Jutsu, and there are quite a few. It still doesn't matter."

All of the Naruto charged in with kunai at the ready. They formed an orange and blue dome around the man. With one swing of his massive sword, they were sent back. The last Naruto pulled out his large bag and reached into it. "I still can use this." He pulled out a large folded weapon. "Sasuke, catch."

After the Uchiha captured the weapon, his eyes widened. "So that is what you were planning. Not bad Naruto." He spun around and faced the Zabuza clone. He unfolded the weapon and revealed it to be a demon wind shuriken. He leapt into the air. "TAKE THIS."

The clone smirked under the bandages covering his mouth. "Do you honestly think that a shuriken will work on me?" His eyes widened when the weapon passed him by. The Zabuza back at the water smirked. "So you are aiming for my real body. That isn't a bad idea. Too bad it won't work." He reached out and caught the weapon in his free hand.

Sasuke smirked at this. "Perfect."

Zabuza's eyes widened when he saw another shuriken. "That brat was able to hide a second shuriken in the shadow of the first. That's pretty advanced, but useless against me." Zabuza took the shuriken he captured firmly in his hand and held it between himself and the second shuriken.

The second weapon collided with the shuriken and stopped. A puff of smoke surrounded it. Sasuke's eyes widened. "No… it didn't work."

The smoke cleared to reveal Naruto. Everyone's eyes widened at this. Zabuza narrowed his eyes. "You little brat." He kicked Naruto hard enough to send him to shore even though he kicked him slightly downwards.

After seeing this brutal kick, Hinata began running forwards. "NARUTO-KUN!"

Tazuna reached out for her. "No, you'll get yourself killed."

Naruto pushed himself up and looked over at the others. He quickly saw the water clone coming straight for him with the sword at the ready. "I need to take this blond gaki out before he comes up with any more funny moves."

Naruto looked on at this as time slowed down for him. "I can't believe it. After all that, I am still going to die. I can't even move."

"NARUTO-KUN!"

Naruto's eyes widened as he saw a figure crash into him. The clone brought his sword down right at the figures back. He looked down and noticed that it was Hinata. His eyes widened when he saw a large gash in the back of her jacket. They slid across the ground for a few seconds before he lifted Hinata slightly off him to give her a worried look. "Hinata, your back."

"D-don't w-worry Naruto-kun. H-he only c-cut my c-clothes."

Naruto checked again and noticed that this was not the case. Although it was a very weak flow, there was still some blood coming out of her back. Naruto's expression became very surprised. "How can she not feel that?"

She didn't know if it was from the close contact with Naruto or from the adrenaline, but Hinata gripped Naruto tightly. "Naruto-kun… let's do that."

His blue eyes widened. "B-but you're injured." He looked into her eyes and suddenly felt all argument leaving him. He could only nod with an accepting expression. Both of their mouths opened slightly and their hands connected.

_On a helpless but pretty (night)  
Soothing and comforting  
And prospering on the (eyelids)  
Surrounded by the lively and bright fields of (heaven)  
As **(**I**)**, at this moment  
Make this promise to join like (twins)  
Like a string of breaths  
Winds grab a hold of (us)  
I, at this moment  
And through (eternity)  
Wear the winds of the red soul  
As I make this promise  
(And bind my soul to yours)_

Everyone's eyes widened at the still unbelievable sight. Being new to it, Zabuza was surprised for much longer. Sasuke's expression became a smirk. "Looks like I will~ see more of her power."

Sakura smiled. "Maybe we have a chance now."

Tazuna frowned a bit. "Let's hope that this is enough."

Kakashi's eyes remained wide. "That song was just like the one from before. No, it was different. They were more in synch. There is also the weapon's appearance. There is a thin crack along half of the blade's blunt side. Could it be from the small injury Hinata received?"

Zabuza began laughing loudly. "Do you honestly think that something like this would work a second time? I don't care if~ you added some fancy words and a light show. A Transformation Jutsu is still a Transformation Jutsu. I do have to give you points for coming up with such an original shape. Even so, now I can slice two of you in half with one blow. You only made this easier."

The water clone charged forward with his sword ready to swing. Naruto glared at him and turned the blade towards him. "Are you ready Hinata?"

The astral form of Hinata behind him nodded. "Hai."

"Die." The clone brought his sword down on Naruto, who swung his own blade against it. At the point of connection, gusts of wind blew out. This wind didn't affect Naruto but it did reduce the clones balance. With this done, Naruto was able to slice it straight down the middle. The original Zabuza's eyes widened. "What is this? I know that my water clones only have a tenth of my true strength, but those gaki shouldn't be strong enough to defeat it. That has to be more than a simple transformation." He inspected the weapon more closely and smirked. "If I aim for that crack, I may be able to break it." He formed a hand-seal with his free hand. "Water Clone Jutsu."

Instead of one Water Clone, there were three. All of them charged for Naruto, who took a step back. The astral Hinata leaned forward and placed her hands on his shoulder. "Let's go Naruto-kun." Naruto nodded and steadied himself.

Naruto swung his blade, which connected with the closest Zabuza's blade. His eyes widened when another performed a small leap and began bringing it's sword down upon the blunt side of his. When the blade's sharpness slammed directly over the crack, the resulting scream coming from Hinata could be heard by everyone. Naruto immediately jumped away and looked back. "HINATA-CHAN~!" The expression she had on her face was extraordinarily pained.

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "This isn't good. Even as a weapon, Hinata can still feel pain. It just has to be the right spot. THAT'S ENOUGH! YOU HAVE TO RUN!"

Zabuza also narrowed his eyes. "Bingo. That had to hurt for her to scream like _that_." The clones charged forward again. They stopped just as a bunch of shuriken appeared in front of them, courtesy of Sasuke.

Naruto took quick notice of this. "Now's my chance." He ran forward and sliced two of the clones in half with the salmon colored blade. He turned to the last clone and tried to take it out as well. It jumped back well before Naruto could swing his blade. "Darn-it."

The clone's eyes widened as a visible and thin gust of wind came off of the weapon's blade. It could do nothing as the wind cut straight through its torso. The real Zabuza watched in surprise as the tree behind the clone fell to the ground. "There is defiantly more to this transformation than meets the eye. Now that he can extend his range, I have to attack at a distance." Zabuza formed the hand-seal once again. "Water Clone Jutsu." He focused a large amount of his chakra and fed it into his clone. As he did this, the clone formed seals for the original. "I have to finish them all right now."

The astral Hinata's eyes widened. "Naruto-kun. He's preparing a big jutsu."

"What do we do?"

He looked back and noticed that Hinata was panting and having trouble keeping her eyes open. "Just sing with me." Naruto nodded in acceptance.

_We shall (join)  
__As we're doing (now), we shall (join)  
With the voices of the winds  
__From the fields of rich soil **(**grains**)**  
__It shall spin  
As it is doing now, it shall (spin)_

"WATER STYLE: WATER DRAGON JUTSU." A dragon of water rose up from in front of the water clone and faced Naruto. He began diving for him at great speed.

_In a shortened (night), we join now._

Naruto brought the sword over his head as he stared down the dragon. The indigo ribbon that was wrapped around the hilt and his arm revealed itself to actually be two ribbons by sticking out straight behind him. He brought the sword down while yelling out the name of the attack. "EURO LUMENS~!" A massive tunnel of pale green wind burst from the blade and made its way to Zabuza. The wind and the dragon connected fiercely. Wind and Water, two elements so much like each other in being both calm and fierce, fought for dominance. The dragon was soon pulled into the tunnels center and ripped apart. The water clone soon suffered the same fate.

The tunnel narrowed and crashed into Zabuza, pushing him back a great distance. When the wind finally dissipated, his back connected with a tree. Before he could fall, numerous kunai pinned him to the tree. He looked up to see Kakashi glaring him down with both eyes. "He was able to react so quickly after being free and know exactly where I would be. Can his eye see?"

"The future. Yes, it can. Zabuza, let me tell you this. Your future is death." Just then, a pair of senbon pierced his neck, much to Kakashi's surprise.

What looked like a young boy with long brown hair appeared and caught Zabuza before he could fall into the water. The boy wore a mask with red marks and a green battle kimono. "I thank you for your assistance. This one has been troubling me for quite some time. I would like to further show my gratitude, but I must deal with him." The boy formed a hand-seal and disappeared.

Kakashi gripped his headband and used it to cover his eye. "This is all very interesting." He turned back to where Tazuna and his genin where. He focused on Naruto and Hinata, who were back to normal and sleeping on the ground. The wound on Hinata's back was still bleeding slightly. He could see Sakura already there, trying to stop the bleeding. He began running for them. "As much as the knowledge pains me, Naruto and Hinata deserve all the credit for our survival here. Although he had to deal with containing me, they still took out a jonin. If the original plan worked, I may have gotten free and have fought Zabuza myself. I probably would have used a lot more chakra in some big jutsu and exhausted myself beyond my limit. With this, a night of sleep should be enough. Hinata should be fine as well. They are blowing that cut out of proportion. There is also the injury on Naruto's left arm. No one even noticed when he was cut by running into that real shuriken while transformed. Like Hinata, it isn't bad; but, it still will be a good idea for us to get to Tazuna's village quickly."

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**This chapter was amazing for me. As soon as I started using the manga to help me write it, I couldn't stop writing. I am really happy with how this turned out. I would love to hear a lot of opinions about this chapter.**

**Next Chapter: Wave.**


	8. Wave: Chapter 8

Underlined speech is thought.

Italicized _words_ signify emphasis put on words or a change in tone_._

_Italicized sentences are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is **bolded,** it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is underlined, it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is (underlined), it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. The reverse is true with bolding. If a word is **b**olded at the first letter and underlined at the last, it is when their words are out of sync and Naruto's voice comes first. The reverse is true of thi**s**._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: Kakashi and Zabuza start up a round of banter. This leads into a battle in thick mist involving water clones. Kakashi winds up in the lake and gets caught. The genin try to hold off Zabuza's water clone with little success. Naruto comes up with a plan to get past this. The plan fails, forcing Naruto and Hinata to react. Even with this power, they have some trouble dealing with three water clones. A short distraction provided by Sasuke gives them their chance. They begin performing their second song as Zabuza performs his Water Dragon Jutsu. The attacks clash with Zabuza as the loser. Kakashi uses the chance to pin Zabuza to a tree. A hunter shows up and takes the defected shinobi's body. Kakashi them makes his way to his students."

* * *

**April 27, 2009: four days after previous chapter.**

"**Wave."**

The group of six arrived at Tazuna's home with two unconscious. Kakashi had the young Hyuga secured on his back while Tazuna held Naruto. "Tsunami-chan, we need some rooms."

A woman with a dark skirt going down to her knees and a lighter colored shirt walked into view. She had long hair the same color as Hinata's and a kind face. "What for?" She looked over to the door and gasped. As a mother, she instantly focused on the two unconscious preteens. "Tou-san, you can't be telling me that you got these children involved. You know~ what could happen to them."

Kakashi gave her his normal lazy eye. "Don't worry Tsunami-san, it isn't as bad as it looks. I am sure that they will be fine. Trust me on this. I have a lot more experience in these kinds of things than you."

She looked down dejectedly. "Fine, you can put the girl in my room. I will lead you."

Kakashi turned to Sakura. "Well Sakura-chan, you should come as well. I am sure that Hinata would prefer that you tend to her rather than me." The long-haired pink head nodded.

Tazuna shifted Naruto after feeling the blond slip a bit. "I am going to take this brat to the guest room."

Kakashi nodded. "Before you do that; _Sasuke_." The Uchiha's attention was captured by the authoritative tone. "Reach into Naruto-kun's right pocket."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes but still did as he was told. He rummaged through the pocket and pulled out a brown container. "What's this."

"Hinata gave that to Naruto earlier. It is a cream that aids healing. I think Hinata will need it more than Naruto though. Give it to Sakura."

Sasuke looked at the container with narrowed eyes. "Why would that girl bother giving something like this to the dobe. Perhaps gaining her favor may be more difficult than I originally thought." He tossed the container over to Sakura who caught it.

**The next morning.**

Eventually, morning came for the young shinobi. Naruto Uzumaki opened his eyes and rubbed his head. "What~ happened yesterday." His eyes widened. "_Hinata._" He stood up and ran to the nearest hall. He ran through another doorway. He was treated to the sight of everyone on his team, Tazuna, a young woman, and a small boy eating breakfast.

Kakashi gave him a two finger salute. "Yo, good morning Naruto-kun." That U-shaped eye only annoyed him.

"What happened to Hinata? What about Zabuza? What happened?"

Kakashi sighed. "Hinata is sleeping. We will talk about Zabuza when she wakes. Same goes for what happened."

Naruto's expression and stance relaxed. "So, she's okay. What about her back?"

Kakashi's eye somehow looked even lazier. "Her wound is what chunin would consider a scratch. Thanks to the healing cream that she made, it shouldn't leave even the slightest scar and be fully healed in two days at the most. You seem to be asking a lot of questions about her."

Naruto stepped back a bit and averted his eyes. "She got hurt saving me."

"She should be dead." Everyone's eyes widened as they turned to the small boy.

His mother was the first to react. "INARI~!"

"THEY'RE ALL GOING TO DIE ANYWAYS! EVERYONE WHO HAS GONE AGAINST GATO HAS DIED! HOW WILL THEY~ BE ANY DIFFERENT?!" The boy ran out of the room.

Naruto clenched his fists and teeth in anger. "Why that little." He stomped forward.

Kakashi appeared behind him and gripped his jumpsuit. "Calm down Naruto-kun. I don't' think that it would be a very good idea to attack the client's grandson either."

Naruto huffed, crossed his arms, and looked to the side. When he did, he noticed a female figure at the doorway. It was Hinata without the large jacket she usually wore. Instead, she was wearing a light blue shirt that was a bit big for her height-wise; most likely because it was Tsunami's. She still had her headband upon her forehead. She rubbed her eyes in a way that showed that she was still half asleep. Naruto blinked at this twice. "Hinata looks a bit cute." He blushed a bit but shook it out. "Hinata, you okay."

Hearing this voice, the Hyuga looked over to Naruto with her still sleepy eyes. After a few moments. Her eyes widened. She looked down with a blush and twiddled with her fingers. "I-I-I'm f-fine. M-my b-back's a b-b-bit st-stiff."

Naruto let out a sigh. "Good; don't worry me like that Hinata."

She gasped, looked up, and blushed brighter. She quickly returned to her previous position. "Naruto-kun was worried about me." She couldn't keep a smile from forming on her face.

_Everyone_ looked at Naruto when they heard a loud rumbling sound. Hinata chuckled as he started rubbing the back of his head. "I guess that I'm pretty hungry." He moved over to the table and took one of the empty spaces.

Hinata blushed at this. "The only spot left is next to Naruto-kun." She shook her head and took the spot despite her apprehension. She looked at him for a instant before getting a bowl of rice.

Tsunami looked at the pair with a decent amount of curiosity. "Hinata-san, Naruto-san, are the two of you by any chance a couple?" Both choked on their food and blushed. Hinata was redder and Naruto stood up in surprise. Kakashi gave them an amused glance. Sakura looked curious. Sasuke was glaring.

Because Hinata lost her voice, Naruto reacted. "W-what makes y-you say that?"

Tsunami looked up thoughtfully. "I don't know. You two seem similar. I'm not talking about your looks, but about the air around you. I can't help but think that there is some kind of connection between you two."

Naruto began waving his hands a bit. "It's not like that. It is just… well; h-how do I say." He stuck his index finger up as a eureka moment hit him. "I know. Every time Hinata works with me, I can harness this awesome~ power. I feel like that as long as I have her, I can take on anyone."

Tsunami smiled. "Well, that sounds nice."

Naruto's focus changed to his right when he saw Hinata standing up. "Hey, Hinata; where are you going?"

She looked down in a way that made her hair from a shadow over her eyes. "I-I just realized th-that I'm not v-very hungry right n-now." She looked at Naruto will a small smile. "Don't w-worry about me." She left the room the same way she came.

Naruto could only follow her with a dumbfounded expression. "Why can't I help feeling that I have seen that smile before on someone else. It is just so familiar."

Although Kakashi was just as lazy looking as always, he was the only one who understood what just happened. "Open mouth; insert foot. Naruto-kun messed up this time."

Hinata made her way back the room that she woke up in. She dropped to the bed and immediately started crying. "Is that how Naruto-kun sees me now? Am I just a weapon that will only be useful for becoming stronger? I should have known that Naruto-kun wouldn't notice me~. Without that power, I am just the weak, spineless Hyuga who can't do anything right." She took a deep breath, which slowed her crying. "At least I am of some use to him. It is more than I originally thought I could be. Still…I wish I didn't have these powers."

Back in the dinning room, Kakashi sighed. "I was hoping to talk about this with Hinata here, but it looks like she still needs more sleep. Actually, I doubt she will want to leave that room anytime soon. The issue right now is Zabuza. I don't think we are through with him yet."

Sakura stood up with a highly worried expression. "What are you saying Kakashi-sensei. You said yourself that a hunter showed up and dealt with him."

"That is the problem Sakura-chan. Although I didn't notice at first, the hunter was behaving strangely. The first issue was how he used senbon to take Zabuza down."

Naruto raised his hand. "What are senbon?"

Sakura was right there, hitting him on the head. "Baka, don't you know anything. How you passed the exams, I'll never know."

"Sakura-chan, stop hitting Naruto-kun so I can get back to the explanation." She blushed and took a seat. "Good; senbon are needles that hardly do any damage unless they hit a vital spot; not the neck. It is likely that he was only put in a temporary death state."

Naruto stopped nursing the bump Sakura gave him and faced Kakashi. "Wait, how can he do that?"

"Although that kid may not be a legitimate hunter, he still gave off the feeling of one. It is likely that like hunters, he was taught everything possible about the human body. Putting someone in a temporary death-like state should be easy for him. Fortunately, being put in such a state puts a lot of toll on the body. Considering that it is someone like Zabuza, we could be looking at having to deal with him in any time between six and ten days. You genin are going to need some training if you are to be ready by that time."

Sasuke stood up and gave Kakashi a glare that held some curiosity. "How do you plan on doing that. Zabuza is a jonin. What kind of training can possibly be of any use."

Kakashi's eye turned into that usual U shape. "You'll just have to follow me and find out. We'll be having Hinata join us tomorrow." He left the room on his way out of the building. The genin followed him.

**In a room at an unknown location.**

Zabuza opened his eyes and turned them to the boy at his side. He was no longer wearing his mask. "Haku, time to talk. What can you tell me about what you saw. Start with Sharingan Kakashi."

The long haired boy nodded. "There isn't much to say. I know for certain that he can't see the future based on how he was surprised by my appearance. Also, his vision is still good in your usual mist. You should be able to cancel his abilities out if you make the mist as dense as possible though."

Zabuza nodded. "Now, the brat and that girl who changed into that sword."

Haku nodded again. "I doubt that the boy is very special at all. All that power came from the girl. From what I saw, her greater powers come from those songs. Also, she is likely unable to transform unless she is in contact with another person. There is also that crack. It reflects the wound she received on her back before transforming. If you attack her personally, instead of with a clone with only ten percent of your strength, it will hurt her even if there isn't a weak spot like that. Preventing her from coming in contact with another is the best option though. If we fail at that, their power combined with Hatake-san will to difficult to deal with."

"There is more Haku. While in that sword form, she is as large as my own sword; yet that little brat can swing her around like she is his own arm. For someone like me, who is trained in the use of large weapons, a sword with that kind of power and light weight is ideal." His eyes narrowed more at Haku. "Here is what I want to happen. You are to find some way to get her over to where you are. Use your needles to stop her legs from working. Do _not_ risk putting her in a death-like state. If she transforms with anyone, take them out as quickly as possible. As soon as I give you the signal, take her and get out of there. Do you understand."

Haku nodded. "Hai Zabuza-sama. Do you intend on having her power."

Zabuza smirked under his bandages. "Of course. The only thing better than one powerful weapon is two; right Haku." The boy smiled before turning his attention to a few herbs he had with him. "This boy has been very useful to me. I hate to say it, but I may be further back on my plans if I didn't have him with me all this time. If he doesn't die, then I should give him _some_ reward. That girl is also a Hyuga with the Byakugan. I wonder what that can do when combined with Haku's kekkei genkai. If that transforming ability is passed on, then it could become a very powerful clan under the new Kiri regiment."

**In a forest a short distance from Tazuna's home.**

Naruto looked at Kakashi with a fair amount of scrutiny. "I don't know why we are doing this. We dealt with Zabuza pretty easily last time."

"Naruto-kun, I don't think that me getting captured and two of you falling unconscious with injuries is easily. Any level of improvement can help."

Sakura raised her hand to the same level as her eyes. "Kakashi-sensei. Sasuke-kun made a good point earlier. What kind of training will be of any use."

"I am going to have you genin learn how to use your chakra properly."

Naruto pouted. "Hey, we already know how to use our chakra."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "You only know how to use jutsu, not chakra. There are many jutsu where just pouring all your chakra into it can overload the jutsu. The overall result may be the jutsu getting weakened or not working at all. It may even hurt you. This is why learning to control and use you chakra is key."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Get to the point already. How are we going to train."

Kakashi eye-smiled and lifted his index finger. "It's simple… climb a tree." Everyone's expression turned blank. "Did I forget to mention that you can't use your hands."

This caught their attention. Sakura raised her hand again. "How do we do that?"

Kakashi's eyes became lazier. "I guess that it would be better for me to show you rather than trying to explain it all day." He formed the ram hand-seal. A cloud of dust form in front of each foot thanks to an invisible force. He walked over to a tree and scaled it as if it were a walk in a park. He continued until he was standing upside down on a large branch. "Here is how it works. You need to focus chakra at the soles of your feet. This is difficult enough because the feet are the hardest part of your body to focus chakra at." He tossed down a kunai at each genin's feet. "Use these to mark your progress whenever you feel like you are going to fall off. You should get a running start for your first try until you get a feel for this exercise."

Each genin nodded before picking up their kunai. After spending a few seconds focusing their chakra, they began their run. Naruto smirked as he closed the distance. "I am getting this on my first try." Naruto slipped the instant his feet left the ground. Sasuke managed to climb some distance before pressing a foot sized dent into the tree. He recognized the first time feeling and quickly marked his spot.

Kakashi's eyes once again took on the U shape. "Not as easy as you originally thought. It you put in too little chakra, you will slip. Too much, and you'll only blow yourself off."

"HEY DOWN THERE!" They all looked up to see Sakura standing on a high branch. "THIS IS PRETTY FUN."

"Well done Sakura-chan. It seems that you have the most understanding on how to properly utilize your chakra." She took up a pose that she probably though was a cute way to show her embarrassment. Kakashi turned his attention down to his other genin. "She may have better control, but the others have a lot more chakra. Naruto-kun has twice the chakra even I have. I'm willing to bet that he didn't use enough chakra because he wasn't concentrating enough. If he learned how to better use his chakra, then he will make for an amazing shinobi. As for right now, he's a baka. There is also Hinata. Later on, I have to test out a theory of mine concerning her. If I'm right, then I might have to talk about the way things are set up. It could very well be in their best interests."

* * *

**There you have it. Chapter 8 of Edel Raid and Pleasure. I tried to go for the usual type of ending that people tend to point out in my story. I don't think that the wave conflict is ending next chapter. Once that is over, I am sure you know what follows.**

**Next Chapter: Discovery.**


	9. Discovery: Chapter 9

Underlined speech is thought.

Italicized _words_ signify emphasis put on words or a change in tone_._

_Italicized sentences are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is **bolded,** it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is underlined, it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is (underlined), it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. The reverse is true with bolding. If a word is **b**olded at the first letter and underlined at the last, it is when their words are out of sync and Naruto's voice comes first. The reverse is true of thi**s**._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: When the group finally reached Tazuna's home, Tsunami expresses concern towards the unconscious Naruto and Hinata. Kakashi is able to quell her fears. In the next morning, Naruto wakes up and meets up with the others eating breakfast. He asks about Hinata, which ends with Inari saying something insulting. The boy leaves as Hinata arrives. As they eat, Tsunami asks an embarrassing question. Naruto's answer disappoints Hinata. After she leaves the group, Kakashi explains the situation. Meanwhile, Zabuza talks about what happened the day before. They set up plans to capture Hinata. Back with Kakashi, he shows his students tree walking. As they practice, his thoughts turn towards his theories concerning Hinata.

* * *

**April 30, 2009; three days after the previous chapter.**

**Naruto's little screw-up in the previous chapter sure caught a lot of attention. The three who didn't mention it have a collective word count of ten in their reviews. I have to point out 'The Gandhara,' who has written the most in-depth reviews I have ever received. Writers and reviewers alike can certainly learn from him.**

**What annoys me about Monday's release was how quickly my story was pushed out of the front page of Naruto/Hinata stories. That really cut into the number of readers I get. I have decided that I will always update on a, but not every, Monday or Thursday. Check on those days if you think you missed a chapter.**

"**Discovery"**

Hinata was left alone for a long time after the incident during breakfast. Because of the mental exhaustion from her feelings and the physical exhaustion from trying to repress her tears, she slept. The door opened silently with Tsunami behind it. She took one good look at Hinata, which was provided by her position and the sunlight coming in through a window. "That girl has been crying pretty hard. She obviously feels strongly about Naruto-san. Did Naruto avoiding the idea of them being a couple affect her that much, or is it something more. We'll have to have some girl talk when she wakes." She walked over to a corner where a chair was set up. She reached out and pulled in the same jacket that was cut. With a needle and thread, she began working on the damage.

As she worked, Hinata began to stir. Her eyes parted for a few seconds before slowly opening. She pushed herself off of the wet part of the pillow and looked up. Her eyes widened when she noticed Tsunami sitting in the chair and sewing her clothes back together. She immediately slipped out of bed and started bowing. "G-gomen, I didn't k-know that this w-w-was your r-room."

Tsunami chuckled. "Don't worry about that Hinata-san. I was more than happy to share." Her expression became soft and serious, which surprise Hinata by how sudden it was. "Can you tell me why you where crying."

The way Tsunami was still sewing made Hinata think she was being stared down by someone who had over fifty years of life experience. "I…I-I." Her voice was unable to work properly.

Tsunami sighed before smiling at Hinata. "You really like that boy, right?" Hinata looked down and blushed a slightly darker shade of red than Tsunami's shirt. "What did he say that made you cry like that?"

"H-he d-doesn't _see_ m-me."

Tsunami blinked a few times. "I don't understand. It seems that he pays a lot of attention to you. He was very worried about your health and he spoke highly of you just before you left."

"H-he only s-sees m-me for m-my pow-power."

Tsunami frowned. "I don't really get it. Maybe you can tell me what this power is so I can~ understand."

Hinata looked down and started to debate with herself. "W-will you t-tell anyo-one."

Tsunami chuckled. "You haven't had many girlfriends have you. You should know that whenever girl talk happens, secrets revealed never leave the room."

Hinata smiled at the reassuring words before telling Tsunami everything about her special powers. When she was finished, Hinata took a deep breath. "T-that's it."

Tsunami nodded and hummed. "I think that I understand a bit better now. You are worried that Naruto will only see you as a sword rather than as a young woman. I have to say that your problem is not very typical in relationships."

She blushed at the word relationships. "W-what do I d-do."

Tsunami chuckled. "The answer is a lot simpler than you think. All you have to do is _make_ him see you as a young woman."

Hinata's blush became even brighter. "H-how?"

She smiled. "You don't see it yet. With this, you can get closer to him than any other woman can ever hope to. Use this."

Hinata blushed even brighter. "I-I-I don't kn-know if I-I can."

Tsunami placed a hand on Hinata's shoulder and smiled at her. "You'll have plenty of chances. If you just make your move, you'll be surprised at what could happen." Hinata blushed and nodded as Tsunami chuckled with a gentle expression. "You know, I can't help but feel like this is what it's like to have a daughter. Would you mind if I call you Hinata-_chan_ from now on."

She blushed brightly. "N-n-no, I-I wouldn't m-mind."

"Hinata-chan, something is bothering me. You said that Tou-san has seen all this, yet you haven't told him to keep it secret." Hinata gasped loudly, eliciting a chuckle from Tsunami. She lifted Hinata's jacket off of her and placed it where it was originally. "Let's see if he is still here. I don't think Tou-san is the type to go around blurting out things like that unless he's drunk, and that is unlikely with how things are going on here. We can still make sure though."

Tsunami walked over to the door and opened it. She was instantly surprised at what she saw. "Yo."

Hinata stepped forward and saw what the surprise was. "K-Kakashi-sensei, w-what are y-you d-doing here?"

"Hinata-chan has a good question. Didn't you take the others out to train?"

The white haired man looked up from his orange book. "They don't need me there anymore. I came here to see how the fourth of my charges is doing."

Hinata's eyes widened. "The others are training. I can't believe that I just wallowed in self-pity while the others are training to be stronger. Why am I always like this?"

Tsunami smiled. "She is doing a bit better after some girl talk."

Kakashi performed his usual eye-smile. "Why does she look depressed?"

Tsunami looked back in surprise. Sure enough, Hinata had a sad expression. "Hinata-chan, what's wrong?"

"E-everyone e-else is training wh-while I-I do noth-thing."

Kakashi turned his smile towards her. "Now, now Hinata; don't worry about it. They are only doing the tree walking exercise. I'm sure you already learned that, being a Hyuga."

Hinata's eyes widened. "They are just now working on the tree walking exercise." Those white eyes narrowed at Kakashi in a surprising way for the usually timid Hyuga. "Kurenai-sensei had us doing that in a week."

Kakashi performed a sweat-drop. "Great, I'm being outdone by the rookie jonin. Let's get back to the main reason I came here. I want too see if you can do that transforming thing you do outside~ of a combat situation."

The Hyuga's eyes widened again. Tsunami stepped forward to be Hinata's voice. "Not now. We have to make sure Tou-san can keep Hinata-chan's secret."

Somehow, Kakashi's eye became even more U-shaped. "Don't worry about that. I already talked to Tazuna about that. I made sure that he won't even bring up the _idea~_ that there is something special about Hinata."

"I don't think Hinata-chan wants to leave the house."

"She doesn't have to."

"She told me about her power. I doubt she wants to destroy anything."

"She won't as long as she isn't swung around."

"She doesn't want to be a weapon."

"Understanding her power can go a long way in improving the success rate of this mission as well as decrease the likelihood of someone dieing. The decision is up to her in the end though. Hook line and sinker."

Tsunami looked back at Hinata with a concerned expression. "Hinata-chan?"

Her expression became one of great determination. "I-I'll do it." Kakashi's U became bigger as Tsunami sighed in resignation.

"Follow me Hinata. We'll be doing this in the dining room." They followed Kakashi down the stairs and to the mentioned room.

Hinata was surprised at the fact that a certain blond was waiting for them in the room. "N-Naruto-kun?" She blushed considerably. "A-a-aren't y-you t-t-training?"

He brought his hands up to the back of his head and smiled widely. "Kakashi-sensei said that it may be better for the team if you and I work on using your power better."

Hinata nodded shyly. "I thought that Kakashi-sensei was going to ask me to fuse with _him_." As soon as she finished thinking, Naruto was right there in front of her. She stepped back in embarrassment.

"Come on Hinata." Naruto held out his hands.

Hinata took a deep breath and tentatively reached her hands out to his. Her blush grew with the closing distance. "This is a lot harder than in a battle." After their hands were finally together, she began to pull upon the feelings that came with the song. "Strange……this feels a bit different."

_On a helples**s** bu**t** prett**y** (nigh**t**)  
Soothin**g** and comforting__  
And prospering on the (eyelids)__  
Surrounded by the lively and bright fields of (heaven)  
As (I), at this moment__  
Make this promise to join like (twins)  
Like a string of breaths  
__Winds grab a hold of (us)__  
I, at this moment__  
And through eternity__  
Wear the winds of the red soul__  
As I make this promise  
(And bind my soul to yours)_

As usual, they were surrounded by the swirls of wind and bright light. Unlike the usual, nothing happened. Naruto was without a weapon and Hinata was still in human form. Hinata stepped back with some fear in her eyes. "I can't believe it. Now I can't even do this right." She tried to run, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder.

She looked back to see Kakashi giving her a serious look. "I don't think that this is your fault Hinata." He vanished in a puff of smoke, surprising both females.

Hinata looked around and saw that Naruto showed no surprise in her failure or the sudden disappearance. "N-Naruto-kun; w-where's K-Kakashi-sensei?"

The blond smiled in an unusually controlled manner before being surrounded by a cloud of smoke. It quickly cleared, revealing another Kakashi. "I'm right here. The Kakashi from before was a clone."

"Th-then it w-was y-you?"

"Hai Hinata; it was me. Thanks to just now, you helped me test out a theory of mine."

Tsunami narrowed her eyes. "So you just used Hinata-chan as a test subject."

He began moving his hands back and forth in a placating manner. "Now, now; no need to get testy." He chuckled at his own joke before turning to Hinata. "Remember how you said that you have never used your power with anyone other than Naruto-kun, including your first time. From this, I developed a random theory. Just now, you proved it to be true."

"W-what the-theory?"

"The _fact_ is that even if you want to, you cannot transform for _anyone_ other than Naruto-kun."

Hinata's eyes widened. "Only Naruto-kun." Thanks to her state of shock, she practically became a red-faced statue.

Kakashi started waving his hands in front of her face, but to no avail. He quickly caught her when she fell over in a faint. "Well that was an unexpected reaction. Can you take care of her?" He handed Hinata off to Tsunami. "I have to go and protect Tazuna." He was gone in a swirl of smoke.

Tsunami huffed. "That is _some_ man. He hands her off to me without even trying to help." She bent down and picked Hinata up. "At least she is light." She carried Hinata over to the guest room and set her on a futon. With nothing else to do, she went back up to her room and began sewing up the rest of Hinata's jacket.

After only a short time, Hinata woke up again. She sat up and sighed. "I can't believe that I fainted over something like that." She smiled and blushed. "Now that I know that I can only transform for Naruto-kun……well~… I don't really know. It still has to be a good thing though." She stood up and began walking around. She stopped when she saw Tsunami.

She smiled and held out Hinata's jacket. "I just finished sewing this up. I think you will feel better in your own clothes rather than in mine, ne?"

Hinata looked down, blushed, and twiddled with her fingers. "A-arigato Tsunami-san."

"No need to thank me. I was happy to do it."

At the sound of a door's movement, the girls turned towards the sound. Standing there was a small boy with a strip designed hat. He looked up at Hinata with narrow eyes. "You're the dead girl, ne?"

Hinata was completely dumbfounded by the boy's choice of words. "INARI~! You shouldn't say things like that."

Inari began speaking with a highly frustrated tone. "You shouldn't go off trying to be a hero. What good does it do you to get hurt for someone else? You should be _dead_."

Tsunami's eyes narrowed. "What Hinata-chan did was very noble."

Hinata looked down as her eyes were cast in shadow. "No, it wasn't noble." The others widened their eyes in surprise. "N-Naruto-kun was about t-to get hurt b-badly. I-I couldn't b-bear to see him h-hurt anymore, s-so I protected h-him with m-my body."

Inari clenched his fists and glared at her. "You're a bigger baka than Otou-san." He turned back and began running.

Tsunami's eyes remained wide. "How can such a small girl be so much like Kaiza? It is almost impossible to believe. If I had a daughter _with_ Kaiza, is this what she would have been like." She gave Hinata a gentle smile. "It may be best if we forget about this incident. How about you come shopping with me?"

Hinata smiled a bit. "Hai." Minutes later, Tsunami and Hinata were out in the village. Hinata had already changed back to her original outfit. Hinata looked around and took in the state of the village. "This is horrible. There's not a single happy face anywhere. Is this all~ because of Gato." She was led into a store and gasped. "T-this is a st-store?"

Tsunami's expression turned sad. "This is all because of Gato. It is very difficult to get goods into Wave, and even then; they are very expensive. Only the rich can afford to eat regularly. I'm sure that our richest people are only about as wealthy as the average of where you live."

Hinata looked down sadly. "I wouldn't understand even that. I come from a prosperous clan. I could never understand poverty." She suddenly sensed ill-intent behind her. She turns around to face the source. She saw a man behind her flinch before running away. "What was that about?"

Tsunami frowned at the direction that man ran in. "That happens very often here. People are desperate and willing to do anything to get the money they need. Even good people are forced into this way of life." She paused for a time to pay for her groceries. "Let's go… I have all we need."

Hinata followed Tsunami back to her home. She suddenly felt another presence behind her. When she looked, she saw a small child holding a pair of hands out and smiling. Hinata gasped again. "So small; I can't tell if this is a boy or girl." With out even thinking about it, Hinata pulled out some money and handed it over. The child smiled widely and ran off.

Tsunami frowned at this. "Be careful Hinata-chan. If you do that for everyone, you'll wind up out of money."

Hinata looked down. "G-gomen. I-I come f-from a rich cl-clan, so I-I never worry a-about money."

"That's okay Hinata-chan. Let's go back to the house." Hinata nodded and followed her. They opened the door and made their way to the kitchen. "Hinata-chan, do you want to help me with the dinner."

Hinata nodded with a smiled on her face. With nothing to talk about for the remainder of the time, other than ingredients and cooking methods, they were fairly silent through the rest of the day. A door was loudly opened. "TSUNAMI-CHAN, SUPPER SMELLS SUPER!"

Tsunami let out a sigh before chuckling. "Tou-san never changes."

He popped his head thought he doorway. "You have-n that girl help you out. It's no wonder that your cooking is suddenly better."

"Be quite Tou-san. You know full well that my cooking is some of best."

"Hai, but the brat is better."

Tsunami turned to Tazuna with a glare. "You have five seconds before I throw this rice spoon at you." Tazuna was out of sight in the next instant after remembering how much shorter his daughter's seconds were. She turned to Hinata and smiled. "Don't take what I said negatively. That is just how a father and daughter can act sometimes. You really do~ have talent with cooking."

Hinata showed her embarrassment. "A-arigato Ts-Tsunami-san."

"Now… let's get this food to your hungry teammates."

After serving dinner Kakashi explained to Hinata the situation that they were in. The fact that she did next to nothing when the situation was so bad disappointed Hinata. After this, everyone sat at the table and ate quietly, if Naruto and Sasuke weren't included. Both were shoveling down the food like there was no tomorrow. Hinata watched this with concern on her face. "These people can't afford for them to be eating like this. N-N-Naruto-kun, S-Sasuke-san, p-p-please s-slow d-d-down."

Both stopped for the moment and looked at her. Naruto was first to swallow his food. "Slow down? I have to get stronger. I need all the energy I can get."

Sasuke put down his bowl and looked at Naruto with his confident expression. "What's wrong dobe? Honestly, I don't need all that extra energy to outdo you~."

Naruto started glaring at Sasuke as he put down his bowl. "What did you say Teme. I can do anything you can."

Kakashi's eyelid dropped. "I can see where this is going. It might be best to put it to a stop. Slow down you two. Hinata didn't ask you two to stop altogether. In a way, she is right. The best way to get the most nutrients out of food is to eat it slowly. Chewing each individual grain of rice provides the most efficient amounts of energy. A high nutrient count with less consumption is optimum for the training of shinobi." Naruto and Sasuke nodded before sitting back down and continuing their meals slowly. Everyone there but Kakashi, Sasuke, and Naruto performed a sweat-drop. Kakashi chuckled. "I was right. Sasuke-kun is definitely after any way to gain Hinata's favor so he can use her power. It may be best that I get him to give up on that idea tomorrow."

Naruto took another bite and chewed it slowly. "Hey, now that I slowed down, this taste a lot better than even before. You're a great cook Tsunami."

The woman smiled at Naruto. "Thanks for the complement Naruto-san, but I don't deserve all the credit. Hinata-chan helped me out a lot. I can tell from personal experience that she will make for both a good wife and a good mother."

Even without anything in her mouth, Hinata managed to choke on those words. She froze in place so she could put all the mental power that would be used to move into staying conscious. The way Naruto looked at her with a smile didn't help either. She was still able to contain it though. "Thank goodness. Fainting now would have been very embarrassing."

Time passed as Sakura was the first to finish her food. She stood up and walked over to a picture that had the upper right corner torn off. "Excuse me, Tazuna-san? I noticed that Inari has been looking at this picture a lot. It looks like someone deliberately tore the person in the corner out. Who is this man?"

Inari clenched his fists as Tsunami flinched. Tazuna's expression became serious. "That man is Kaiza. He was Inari's father and the courage of this village." Inari stood up suddenly and went up the stairs.

"TOU-SAN, I told you not to talk about him in front of Inari."

Kakashi quickly interrupted. "I know that this isn't really any of our business, but who is this Kaiza. Was he really that great a man?"

Tazuna nodded. "When that man came to our village, he brought what it meant to live to everyone, including my daughter and grandson. This is his story."

* * *

**Okay, since everyone already knows about Kaiza's story, I am going to skip that in the next chapter. Here's hoping that not too many of my usual readers don't accidentally miss this chapter like on Monday. I swear that 100 of them missed out. (I keep track.)**

**The Wave arc should only be two chapters long, though it may be longer. It all depends. The Chunin Exams come after that.**

**Next Chapter: Protect.**


	10. Protect: Chapter 10

Underlined speech is thought.

Italicized _words_ signify emphasis put on words or a change in tone_._

_Italicized sentences are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is **bolded,** it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is underlined, it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is (underlined), it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. The reverse is true with bolding. If a word is **b**olded at the first letter and underlined at the last, it is when their words are out of sync and Naruto's voice comes first. The reverse is true of thi**s**._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: Hinata was met up with Tsunami inside of the later person's room. The talk that followed helped calm Hinata down. When they entered the room, Kakashi was there. He wanted to have Hinata try and use her power. It didn't work because the person was Kakashi transformed as Naruto. After that, Tsunami takes Hinata out into the village. Hinata learns about the condition of the village first hand. At dinner, she is able to slow Naruto and Sasuke down with Kakashi's help. With dinner finished, Sakura asked about the photo on the wall.)

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**May 7, a week after the previous chapter.**

**It sure has been a while since the previous chapter (if you go by the usual update rate). On the plus side, it is one of the longer chapters and it has what a lot of people have been asking for. I hope it satisfies without being too much for others.**

"**Protect"**

All of the shinobi sat in the room in complete silence after they were finished with hearing the story of Kaiza. Naruto suddenly stood up and slapped his hands onto the table. "I'm going to prove it."

Everyone turned to Naruto. Sakura was the one to speak. "What?"

"I'm going to prove that heroes do exist in this world."

Hinata followed Naruto with her eyes as a blush grew on her cheeks. Goosebumps ran along her skin as the force she felt those words at. "That's it. That is the determination that only I have seen him with."

Kakashi followed him with his lazy eye. "I don't think that it will be a good idea for you to do that Naruto-kun. I don't want to have to find you every morning. Knowing you, you will train until you run completely out of chakra. That could kill you."

Naruto crossed his arms and pouted. "I don't care, I want to train."

Kakashi's eye became more bored looking before moment of inspiration hit him. "Well~, I guess that there is plenty of time left in the day. Hold it Naruto-kun." This was just in time to stop Naruto from hopping around in glee. "I didn't say that you could just do this without there being a condition."

"Kakashi-sensei~~."

"Now, now, no need to get fussy. The condition is very simple. All you need is someone there who can keep track of your chakra system. Someone who can tell you when using any more chakra will be too much." Hinata's eyes widened as she realized _exactly_ where this was going. His eye turned into a very big U-shape as he turned to her. "If I'm not mistaken, you have just what we need for this situation. I won't let Naruto train unless you are watching him."

Hinata produced a blushed as she found herself trapped between Kakashi and Tsunami's all so knowing looks along with Naruto's pleading gaze. "I can't believe this. There is absolutely no way out." She blinked once. "Wait, why would I want a way out? This is a perfect chance. Who knows what Naruto-kun will think of me if I refuse anyways?" Because her voice probably wouldn't work, Hinata nodded.

Kakashi nodded as well. "I guess that this is settled. You _two_ are free to leave at any time."

Everyone but Naruto noticed the particular way Kakashi said two. Tazuna and Sakura looked curious as Tsunami smirked. Sasuke developed a scowl. "There is no way I'm leaving that Hyuga alone with the dobe. I'm not letting him get better than me either." Sasuke stood up with an air of haughtiness around him. He didn't have to say anything to get his point across.

Kakashi sighed as he faced down Sasuke's narrowed eyes before turning to the Hyuga. "Hinata, you will need to keep a closer eye on Sasuke. He tends to use more chakra while training than when Naruto-kun does. Not to mention that he has more chakra. Let the other two go ahead first though. I want to talk to you _privately_ along the way." Sasuke felt that the accented word was directed towards him. He narrowed his eyes as he followed the speedy Naruto out of the building. Kakashi and Hinata soon followed.

Hinata looked up at Kakashi a few times with a nervous look on her face. "Ano, w-what did y-you w-want to t-talk to m-me about K-Kakashi-sensei?"

"Just something that has been annoying me a bit. We constantly call you using your ability a transformation, but it has no real relationship to the Transformation Jutsu. I think we need a new term for it."

"Reacting." Her tone was very direct and confident.

Kakashi's eye widened a bit. "You seemed to answer my quandary pretty quickly."

Hinata blushed and looked away. "I-It just c-came to me."

Kakashi looked up thoughtfully. "The word reacting makes me think of a chemical reaction. In a way, it fits. If you take one component and put it with another component with the help of a catalyst and you get something entirely new. You and Naruto are the two separate components and can't react with anything else. The catalyst is that song you sing. I'm no chemist, but I'm sure that is a fairly accurate comparison. The word must have come to you because it is your ability."

Hinata looked down without much of an expression. "So Naruto-kun and I are like chemicals. That isn't a very personal way of putting it."

Kakashi stepped in front of Hinata. "There is one last thing that I need to tell you before I leave those two in your care." Hinata focused her attention on Kakashi from the seriousness of his voice.

**A short distance into the forest.**

Naruto and Sasuke began yet another plummet from there attempt at climbing their tree. Sasuke turned to Naruto's tree with Narrow eyes. "This can't be. Since when can that dobe ever catch up to me?"

Naruto gave Sasuke's tree that very same glare. "He's still ahead of me, but I'm getting closer. Soon, I'm going to show him up." Both looked back when they sensed another presence. Naruto walked over while waving. "Hey there Hinata… I guess that Kakashi-sensei doesn't just make himself late."

Hinata instantly looked down and tried to disappear into her jacket. "G-g-g-g-gomen. I-I didn't m-m-mean to."

Naruto swung his arms to the back of his head. "You shouldn't apologize. It's Kakashi-sensei's fault anyways."

Sasuke walked over with a smirk on his face. "For once, the dobe is right."

Hinata shrunk away just a little bit more. She shook her thoughts out of her head before standing up a bit straighter. "I need to calm down if I want to be able to help them."

She looked up to see Naruto in a thoughtful position. "Hey, Hinata… have you done tree walking before?" She simply nodded, which caused Naruto to get excited. "Then that means that you know the trick to getting this right, ne?"

Sasuke's ears immediately perked up. "Looks like she is good for something more."

Hinata looked down and blushed. "Th-there's n-no tr-trick t-to it. W-why don't y-you l-let me wh-watch once?"

"Yosh!" Naruto hopped once to face the tree and formed the ram hand-seal. Sasuke was less energetic. As soon as they had their chakra focused, they ran. Hinata quickly activated her Byakugan. Naruto looked at Sasuke's tree. "I can't let him get farther than me."

Sasuke faced Naruto's tree. "I can't let him close the gap any further." They continued up their tree for a few short moments. Naruto was able to put another scratch a few centimeters over the topmost scratch. Sasuke's scratch was right on the previous one, which frustrated Sasuke. "How can that dobe still be getting better?"

They back flipped off of their tree and landed on their feet. Naruto immediately turned to Hinata, whose eyes were deactivated. "So, do you know what's wrong Hinata?"

"H-hai." Hinata took in multiple deep breaths as she felt four expectant eyes upon her. After calming down a bit and collecting her thoughts, she began. "I-I noticed th-that b-both of y-you looked a-at the o-other's tr-tree. Y-you sh-should focus on y-your own tr-tree. You both l-look frustrated t-too. Chakra i-is made of s-spirit and ph-physical energy. I-If you are frustrated, y-your spirit energy w-won't mix in as well. It may e-even help to ignore y-your progress."

Naruto turned to his tree. "So all I have to do is ignore the teme and calm down a bit. I also have to forget how slow I'm going. Just go as far as I can. The top of the tree… that's my target."

Sasuke smirked at Hinata's words. "That Hyuga is speaking my language. Why should I care how well that dobe is doing. All that matters is how strong I become. It isn't like he plans on killing _him._"

They narrowed their eyes as they charged for their tree. With just the first foot on the tree, it felt completely different. Without even caring about the marks on the tree, they ran up their tree at full blast. The only thing their eyes were focused on was the top of the tree. They passed the topmost mark and showed few signs of slowing down. This didn't last long as they both stopped and marked their place on the tree. When Naruto touched the ground, he began hopping up and down. "YATTA, YATTA!" He turned to Sasuke and pointed at him. "How do you like that teme?" Sasuke simply pointed at his own tree, showing that the marks on both trees were even. Naruto frowned before crossing his arms. "So what… I'm going to be better than you next time."

Sasuke gave him his usual smirk. "I don't care if you are better or not. I only care that I'm~ getting better."

Naruto clenched his fists. "Teme~~~."

Hinata reached her hand out towards him. "N-Naruto-kun, y-you sh-should calm down."

His eyes turned blank for a moment before he faced Hinata with his hand rubbing the back of his hand. "Gomen Hinata. I forgot about that for a moment." He turned to his tree. "Hinata said that calming down will make this easier. For some reason, looking at her makes me feel calm and excited at the same time. It feels weird but it might help me with my chakra." As he focused on the thought of Hinata's face and voice, Naruto let his chakra flow through him. "Yosh, this feels even better."

Sasuke was also focusing on his thoughts. "A quiet field with no one around to bother me. I am free to train without any interruption. Multiple photo's of _that_ man to use as targets." With these calming thoughts in both their heads, they ran up their tree. Once again they managed to noticeably surpass the topmost mark.

Unfortunately, that was the last time that they passed it with that large a margin. They continued to do this for a few minutes, at which time Hinata steps towards Sasuke. "S-Sasuke-san, y-you a-are almost o-out of ch-chakra. Y-you should st-stop for now."

A heavily panting Sasuke turned to Hinata before turning to his tree. "Once more." He started his run up the tree. He forced out as much chakra as he could, but could only reach just past the previous point. "I guess that Hyuga is right. Trying anymore won't do any good." He landed on the ground and turned to Naruto, who was almost at his previous mark. "Why is the dobe still going?"

Before she could answer, Naruto landed on the ground. He was panting and sweating considerably. "Whew, this is getting pretty hard. I think I'm almost out of chakra." He looked over to Hinata.

Listening to those words, she couldn't help but nod at them. "Now that I think about it, I'm confused. I know~ that Naruto-kun has over three times the chakra Sasuke-san does. I can see that he is also using less chakra. _How_ is he running out of so much chakra so quickly? Maybe I can see tomorrow."

The group of three made their way back to the house with Sasuke at the lead. He suddenly stopped and looked at Naruto. Hinata could still tell that his attention was on her through his peripheral vision. "I have an idea on what else we can do. How about we try that transforming thing she can do. It will be a good idea to practice that."

Hinata's eyes widened as she stepped back a bit. "This is exactly what Kakashi-sensei told me about. He said that Sasuke-san might want me to react with him." She shook her head a bit. "Calm down Hinata. All you have to do is tell Sasuke-san that you can't react with him."

Naruto looked up thoughtfully. "I don't know~. Every time we do that, we fall asleep. I don't mind, but I don't think Hinata wants to sleep outside."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "It was my~ idea dobe. I should be the one to go first. The only person she has ever transformed with is you. You should let her go with someone else for a change."

Naruto clenched his teeth at being unable to effectively come back from that. "Why in the world does thinking about Hinata transforming for that teme tick me off."

Sasuke turned to Hinata with a smirk that was asking why she hasn't gone ahead and done it. She had no choice but to answer. "S-Sasuke-san, I-I-I can't r-react with y-you."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean by react?"

"I-It's the t-term for m-me tr-transforming i-into that s-sword."

This only caused him to narrow his eyes further. "I was hoping she wouldn't say something like that. Did Kakashi-sensei _tell_ you that you can't react with us?"

"N-no, not e-exactly. I-I c-can't r-react with a-anyone but N-Naruto-kun, even i-if I tried."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Did Hinata just say what I think she said?"

Sasuke's fists clenched in sudden frustration, but his expression was set. "Are you sure about that? You are just going to decide that you can't react with anyone without even trying?"

"W-we did tr-try. Kakashi-s-sensei even t-transformed as N-Naruto-kun, a-and it st-still didn't w-work."

Sasuke started sneering at her while stepping forward, causing her to step back in response. "So what. Did you ever think for a moment that it is because Kakashi-sensei is a lot older than you? Maybe it is because he was using a Transformation Jutsu. How do you know without even trying?"

Not liking the way Sasuke was looking at Hinata; Naruto stepped between the two and glared at Sasuke. "Don't talk to her like that. If she says that she can't do it, then she can't. Yelling at her won't make it happen."

"You're just trying to keep her for yourself. Admit it…you like being able to use all her power for yourself."

"Now what is this?" The three look up a tree to see Kakashi crouched on a tree branch. "I go through the trouble of going out to get you three, and I find you in a fight over who gets to react with Hinata." He jumped down and narrowed his eyes as Sasuke. "Although you had some good ideas as to why Hinata reacting with me didn't work, I highly doubt those are the reason. In case that you forgot, she comes from her own genin team with two other boys her age. I am certain that it was Naruto-kun that triggered them reacting." Kakashi continued to face down Sasuke's defiant glare before letting out a sigh. "If you must, we can test this out until you are satisfied with the truth."

Sasuke smirked at things finally going his way.

**Half an hour later at Tazuna's house.**

Sasuke scowled fiercely as he brooded on the roof thanks to things not going his way. "I tried everything. I even had the dobe transform into me before reacting with her, and the result was the transformation of me with that weapon. No matter how I look at it, that image is the closest that I am ever going to get to possessing that Hyuga's power." He clenched his fists and slammed them on the roof. "I'm back to square one. I have no choice but to train until I am strong enough to kill _him_ by myself."

The days passed by as they continued training. Sasuke managed to control his frustration and ignore the existence of the others. The later was easy because he wished they weren't there.

Hinata's thoughts switched from when Naruto protected her from Sasuke to those words he said about her being a source of power. Everyone else behave like their normal selves.

Naruto continued each day while training as long as Hinata said he should. This tended to be all day as he shortly had enough chakra to last him the whole day. Even though she managed to figure out why he was running out of chakra so quickly, she could not work up the nerve to tell him thanks to his usual high activity and her shyness.

On the sixth morning of this training, Naruto sat up suddenly with a cold sweat on his face. "Why did I have a nightmare like that?" This nightmare replayed everything that happened from when Hinata received that scratch on her back all the way to when he screamed out her name after the crack was hit by Zabuza's sword. "Did I really call her Hinata-_chan_ back then?" He stood up and patted his face. "No use sticking around here. I should get some more training in." He left the building, waking up only Kakashi who ignored him. He ran until he reached the training spot.

Because of how early it was, the sun wasn't up yet. He ran up the tree with his kunai grasped in his hand. This happened time and time again, with each attempt raising the distance just slightly every time. He saw the rising of the sun as no reason to stop. He landed on the ground after another attempt. "Hello there."

He was shocked by the soft voice that came from behind him. He looked back to see a person with a soft face and long dark hair wearing a pink yukata with simple dark swirls on it. "Who are you?"

The person smiled. "I am a villager. I am out here trying to collect some herbs."

Naruto took a deep breath to help slow his breathing. "Do you want some help?"

The person only smiled. "That would be appreciated. Why don't you help me find plants like these?" A small plant was held up for Naruto to see.

He inspected the plant for a few seconds before bending down. He picked something and held it out. "Is this what you were looking for lady?"

The person nodded. "Hai, I am grateful for the help."

Naruto looked up with a curious expression. "You are working pretty early lady."

"You _too_. May I ask you what you were just doing there by running up that tree this early in the morning?"

Naruto placed his hands on the back of his head. "Oh, that's easy. I was just training."

"Is that so? I am wondering…since you are wearing that headband, are you a shinobi?"

Naruto grew a big smile and became very excited. "You're right. I am a shinobi."

The person smiled at him. "Why are you training?"

"Because I want to become stronger."

"With the way you can climb those trees, you already seem strong enough."

Naruto leaned forward with a slightly more serious expression. "No, no, I have to get even stronger." He held out his fist up in a determined pose. "I'm going to become the strongest in my village. I'm going to let everyone know how strong I am. There is also something I have to prove to someone."

"Is all this for yourself or for someone else."

Naruto's expression blanked. "Huh?" This elicited some giggling from the other person. "Hey, what's so funny Nee-chan?"

The person only smiled. "Do you… have someone who is important to you?"

Naruto crossed his arms in confusion. "What is this girl saying?" The person looked down a bit with a sigh, which only confused Naruto more. "What do you mean?"

"When a person has someone important to protect…that's when they can become exceptionally strong."

Naruto's eyes widened as those words struck something within him. He remembered when Kakashi stood in front of his team and said that he won't let his comrades die. The story of Kaiza giving his all to protect his home also came to mind. The third thing was when he jumped in front of Iruka to protect him from Mizuki, creating countless clones in the process. One last thing came to mind. He remembered how Hinata crashed into him and received a scratch as a result. He also remembered how that lead to the pain she later received. "Does that mean that I am like a important person to Hinata. What could that mean." The blond shook his head a bit. "Why would she think that. I even let her get hurt. If there is a _chance_ that I'm important to her, then she's important to me." He clenched his fists and looked down with a serious expression. "Yeah, I think I know what you mean."

The person stood up and started walking away. "You _will_ become strong. Let's meet again somewhere."

He smiled a bit. "Sure."

The person stopped after passing a tree. "By the way… I'm a boy." He couldn't help but chuckle at the shinobi's loud reaction to the news.

Naruto sat on the ground, contemplating how weird that encounter was. He stood up suddenly. "I don't have time to think about that. I have to continue training. I can't let anyone get hurt because of me." He focused his chakra and did just that.

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**I don't know if the wave arc will be lasting one or two more chapters. Three is unlikely though. PS: Three cheers for Haku.**

**Next Chapter: Pain of Loss  
**


	11. Pain of Loss: Chapter 11

Underlined speech is thought.

Italicized _words_ signify emphasis put on words or a change in tone_._

_Italicized sentences are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is **bolded,** it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is underlined, it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is (underlined), it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. The reverse is true with bolding. If a word is **b**olded at the first letter and underlined at the last, it is when their words are out of sync and Naruto's voice comes first. The reverse is true of thi**s**._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: After hearing the story of Kaiza, Naruto prepares to go train. Hinata and Sasuke wind up tagging along. They start by training by running up trees until Naruto and Sasuke ran out of chakra. On their way back, Sasuke suggests that they use Hinata's power. This is debated against up until Kakashi arrives, who helps prove that Hinata can only react with Naruto. The days pass by till Naruto wakes up early from a nightmare. From this, he goes out to training field. He then hears what it means to be strong from a passing boy. This helps him understand how Hinata sees him a little better.)

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**May 14, 2009, one week since the last chapter.**

"**Pain of Loss"**

After his strange encounter in the forest, Naruto decided to return to Tazuna's house so he can get his teeth on some breakfast. Along the way, he passed by Sasuke, who he had a glaring match with until they passed each other by. The blond then continued on his way back to the house.

He opened the door with a big smile plastered on his face. "I'M BACK~!" Tsunami, Kakashi, and Hinata; the only ones awake at the time, turned their heads to give him a look. As per usual, Hinata developed a slight blush. It grew as Naruto walked right up to her as if they were the only ones in the room. "Ne, ne… Hinata, can I ask you something?" She could only nod at the sudden approach. "Am I important to you?" Her arms and the rice spoon she was holding fell. As her mind tried to actually process what was just said, she nodded subconsciously.

Tsunami stared at the scene with widening eyes. "I can't believe that he just asked her something like that so suddenly. That's just too much for her to take."

Naruto smiled wider and closed his eyes as a result. "That's awesome Hinata. Can I call you Hinata-_chan_ from now on?" With those last words, Hinata's embarrassment went over the top as the excess blood to her head sent her into a faint. Tsunami quickly caught the girl. The sudden action sent Naruto into a frenzy. "Wait, Hinata-chan… I-I mean Hinata. I-If you don't want me to call you that, then I won't."

Tsunami chuckled at his actions. "Calm down Naruto-san. You just surprised her. I'm sure that she has no problem with you calling her Hinata-chan. Why don't you go up and clean yourself up for breakfast."

Naruto nodded. "Hai, if you say that it is okay." He turned away and headed for the washroom.

Tsunami smiled as the boy disappeared into the hall. "This last week has been very eventful. I am really going to miss these kids, especially Naruto-san and Hinata-chan. They defiantly bring light to this place in their own special way." She suddenly felt a presence behind her right side. She looked and saw Kakashi standing there. "How did he get there?"

The difference with how Kakashi stood there was how he wasn't reading his orange book with a lazy look in his eye. Right now, he was rubbing real tears out of the corner of his eyes with his finger. To top it off, he sniffled once. "They grow up so _fast_. Don't you think Tsunami-chan." He reached his left arm out and placed it over her shoulders.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "And what do you think you are doing?"

He turned his head to her and gave her that U-shaped eye smile. "Why, I am congratulating you for raising such good kids dear."

He disappeared in a puff of smoke, courtesy of Tsunami's elbow. She looked down with a twitching eyebrow. "I certainly won't miss _him_ if he leaves." The young girl she was holding up started to stir. She let the Hyuga stand and collect her thoughts for a few seconds. "Are you okay Hinata-chan. Naruto-san didn't shock you too much, did he?"

Her eyes widened from the rush of recent memories. "Naruto-kun wants to call me Hinata-_chan_ from now on. For most people, dropping honorifics signals being closer to a person, but the opposite is true for Naruto-kun. Does this mean that I am at near the same level as Sakura-san?" She smiled for a few seconds before the doubts started to come in. "How can I be at that level? Naruto-kun has been after her for years. Remember that in the end, I will just be a source of power and maybe a friend."

At the time of breakfast, everyone sat at the table, excluding Sasuke and Inari. Tsunami glared at Kakashi occasionally. During one of those glares, she noticed Kakashi turn around on his chair with his bowl of food in his hand. Three seconds later, he was back in normal position with his bowl empty. Her eyes widened for only half a second before they narrowed again. "Kakashi-san, didn't you tell your students that they should eat slower. Perhaps you should try leading by example."

Kakashi gave her the lazy eye. "That doesn't really apply to me. As a jonin, I can chew twice the food in half the time." His eye took on the U-shape. "Now why exactly were~ you looking at me?"

"I don't like you much. Your only redeeming quality is how you are still willing to put yourself at risk for Tou-san."

Sakura chuckled into her hands. "Looks like you were rejected Kakashi-sensei."

The U only became bigger. "How can I be rejected if I never made a move? She's too snippy for my tastes anyways." In result, this earned her glare. The genin started to chuckle at the way the conversation was going.

Tazuna suddenly cleared his throat. "I would prefer that the conversation doesn't continue down this path. I am her father after all." He turned to his daughter. "And Tsunami-chan; still being willing to fight for you father's life is a super quality that can redeem any number of negative traits."

Tsunami averted her eyes and crossed her arms. "Speak for yourself Tou-san."

Tazuna turned to Kakashi. "You're right, she is snippy." The jonin simply shrugged his shoulders.

Tsunami calmed her expression and continued eating. "I will smack Tou-san once for that later. I doubt I can do anything to the jonin without him making some joke out of it." A small smirk grew on her face. "There might be something I can~ do."

The remainder of the breakfast was as uneventful as usual. With it done, Naruto and Hinata left the house and made their way to the training spot. Hinata looked at the grass at her feet and locked her hands in front of herself. "I have never been so nervous in my life. I feel like I'll lose it at a single word. Why do I always feel so hopeful?"

Naruto turned his eyes to her without turning his head much. "Hinata-chan, is it really okay if I call you that?" She let out a small squeak before nodding. Naruto smiled in response to her actions. "That's a relief. I was worried I made you mad or something. Looks like Tsunami was right. Now that I think about it, calling you Hinata-chan sounds a lot better to me than just Hinata."

By this time, Hinata was glad that Naruto was behind her because her face was practically glowing. "Does Naruto-kun even have any idea what he is saying to me? I have been near him for so long now; I can no longer sense his emotions. I have no idea what he is thinking right now."

When they arrived, they found Sasuke right in the middle of his training. At this point, he could already climb most of a tree. The Uchiha looked down from a high perch and smirked at the two. "Even if that dobe did some extra training by waking up an hour or so earlier than me, he shouldn't be able to close this new gap."

Naruto looked up with his own smirk. "Time to show the teme what a few extra hours of training can do." He turned to Hinata and suddenly felt the anticipation he felt fade a bit. "I'm going to show Hinata-chan what I can do too. I don't want her to get hurt because of me again." He formed the hand-seal and focused his chakra. He ran at the tree and began his trip.

Sasuke's eyes widened when Naruto suddenly passed him where he was standing. "I'm not letting the dobe pass me by." He focused his chakra and ran up more of the tree.

Naruto felt his chakra fade and decided to land on a large branch instead of going all the way to the ground. He looked over and saw Sasuke running up the tree. "HEY, you're cheating." Naruto clenched his teeth and continued up the tree the same way. Both genin continued running until reaching the top. They gripped the tips of their trees to stop their fall. They glared at each other from the high position.

From there, the two practiced walking up and down the tree under Hinata's watchful eyes. Naruto tended to remain closer to the ground than Sasuke did under the pretense that it was easer to start up again when he fell.

On the next morning, Sakura and Kakashi decided to head off to the training area. The first thing they saw was Hinata standing there and looking up. They did the same and saw two small specks at the tops of two trees. Kakashi smiled under his mask. "Looks like those two already have this down."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Wow, they can already climb that high. I expected that from Sasuke-kun, but not from Naruto. It's impressive that he can keep up."

Kakashi walked over to Hinata's side. "I'm sure that part of their progress is thanks to you keeping an eye on them Hinata."

She stepped away and started to wave her hands. "Th-that can't b-be it." She switched to twiddling with her fingertips. "It is r-really because th-they are t-talented."

Sakura scoffed. "I'll believe that Sasuke-kun has talent, but not Naruto. He probably can only keep up because he is training more than Sasuke-kun." She held her hands together and looked off with starry eyes. "That's my Sasuke-kun. He doesn't even have to work that hard to be amazing."

Hinata looked up with a smile. "That is how Naruto-kun is~. If he fails at something, then he will just try harder at it the next time."

Kakashi turned his U-eye to Hinata. "If you don't mind Hinata, can you bring them in some time before dinner? It really is great whenever you help Tsunami with the food. Make sure that you also tell them that they will be joining me and Sakura-chan in the protection of Tazuna. Of course, that includes you as well. It may be a good idea to train with them."

She looked at him nervously. "Oh, h-hai." She turned her eyes back to the trees. "I guess that this is the last time that I can watch Naruto-kun train like this."

The hours passed as one more dinner came around. Tsunami and Hinata worked in the kitchen with great diligence. Tsunami placed her hands on Hinata's shoulder, causing the girl to look back at her. "Why don't you go ahead and take your seat Hinata-chan. I will hand out everyone's meals myself."

Hinata began waving her hands. "No, no, I-I can't m-make you do th-that yourself."

"Don't be like that Hinata-chan. It is the least I can do for what all of you are doing for Tou-san. I won't be taking no for an answer."

Hinata smiled and nodded. "Hai." She then went over to her seat.

Tsunami immediately started up on fixing each person's meal and handing them out. She slapped her father in the back of his head along the way. "I have been meaning to do that Tou-san."

He rubbed the sore spot as the kids, excluding Sasuke and Inari, chuckled at him. "What was that about?"

It only took her a minute to pass out all the food. Once that was done, she waited while keeping Kakashi in her peripheral vision when not looking directly at him. "Now it is Kakashi-san's turn. By living on this island, there is one thing we can get cheep, and that is sea salt. I hope he doesn't like the extra addition to his meal." She smirked as he turned around with the bowl in his hand. An instant later, he stood up and went to the kitchen. "What is _he_ doing?"

He poured some water into his bowl and walked out with a plate. He came in later with the bowl empty and gave Tsunami that U-eye. "Your rice was very good today Tsunami-chan. It just wasn't fit for consumption within an indoor setting."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "He must have diluted the rice by washing and draining it."

The U-shape only got bigger at her eyes. "She has moved on from snippy to spirited. This is a bit fun." The jonin went back to his seat and turned his eyes to the direction Hinata was. "Well Hinata, how well do you think training went for those two?"

She looked down nervously and started twiddling with her fingers again. "Ano, th-they w-worked pretty h-hard a-and can d-do it e-easily n-now."

Naruto puffed out his chest and poked it with his thumb. "Of course we worked hard. There's no way that we can beat Zabuza if we don't train hard."

Inari started looking down with tears running down his face. "Why… why?"

Naruto turned his eyes to Inari. "Huh?"

The boy slammed his hands on the table. "WHY ARE YOU ALL TRYING SO HARD?! NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRAIN, YOU ARE NO MATCH FOR GATO'S MEN! YOU MAY LIKE TO TALK ABOUT HOW YOU CAN WIN BUT ONE THING NEVER CHANGES! WHEN THE WEAK FIGHT THE STRONG, THEY WILL ONLY GET KILLED!"

Everyone was surprised and turned their eyes to Inari. Naruto just narrowed his eyes. "Whatever, I'm nothing like you."

"OF COURSE YOU'RE NOT! YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THIS COUNTRY, YET YOU'RE BEING SO NOSY! WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ME?! I'M DIFFERENT FROM YOU; A BAKA ALWAYS CLOWNING AROUND AND ACTING SO CHEERY! YOU HAVE NO CLUE HOW HARD LIFE CAN BE!"

Hinata flinched badly when she looked over Naruto, who was looking down enough to cast his eyes in shadows. "Oh no… I'm sure this is a sore subject for Naruto-kun."

The blond turned his body a bit to his right. "So you think it is alright for you to act like your life is so tragic and cry all day." He turned his face to Inari, giving out a glaring expression that no one, including Hinata, knew he was capable of. "Just keep crying forever for all I care. You're just a little sissy."

Sakura stood up and slapped _her_ hands on the table. "THAT'S ENOUGH NARUTO!"

With a small scoff, he stuffed his hands into his pockets and walked off. Hinata watched him as he walked off with her worried eyes. "Naruto-kun." She then noticed Inari running up the stairs. "He doesn't know how what he said struck Naruto-kun. I have to talk to him."

Hinata left her seat and followed Inari up the stairs. Kakashi's eye followed her. "It seems that Hinata has the same idea as me. Let's see what she plans to say." Kakashi left his seat and followed them up the stairs. When he found Hinata, he saw her debating with herself over whether or not she should talk to Inari. "This is a good chance for her to try asserting herself. This should be interesting."

Hinata clenched her fists and walked forward. "Ano, I-Inari-san." The boy looked back at her with a glare. Hinata flinched away just before noticing the tears running down his face. "P-please…don't b-be mad at Naruto-kun. I-I don't think h-he wanted to hurt y-you." Inari remained quiet with a frown on his face. "Tazuna-san t-told us a-about your Otou-san." Inari's eyes widened. "N-Naruto-kun never h-had a father, o-or a mother f-for that matter. Whenever h-he made a f-friend, i-it didn't last l-long. H-he truly does know h-how hard life can b-be."

Inari looked up at her with a questioning expression. "How do you know all this?"

She blushed and stepped back a bit. "P-promise y-you won't t-tell anyone." The boy nodded, directing Hinata to take in a deep breath. "I-I used t-to watch h-him a lot back h-home." She slowly looked up with a smile on her face. Going by her expression, it was almost as if Inari's presence wasn't registering to her anymore. "I remember that he used to cry a lot when he thought he was alone. This lasted for almost two years when without warning, he just stopped. He probably got sick of crying. Even when he was~ crying, he always worked to try and prove himself to others. Once he did~ stop, all that energy and time went into more work. To me, he is the strongest person I know." She looked down at Inari with a kind expression. Hinata then noticed the awestruck expression Inari was giving her, which flustered her. "G-gomen, I-I didn't m-mean to b-be l-like that. I-I just lost c-control."

Inari noticed Hinata starting to leave. "Wait." She stopped and looked at him. "What about you?"

"Wh-what do you m-mean?"

Inari looked down nervously. "I-I'm just a bit curious. What about you?"

"Oh." Hinata looked down as she pulled on unpleasant memories. "I-it happened e-exactly three m-months a-after my fifth b-birthday. My Okaa-san d-died while g-giving birth t-to my sister."

Inari's eyes widened. "Her, too? D-do you hate y-your sister?"

The question shocked Hinata. "N-no, of-course-not. I-I… I could never h-hate my sister."

"Do you have any other f-family?"

Her expression became sad once again. "I-I come f-from a big family. B-but, I-I'm not very w-welcome there. E-everywhere I-I look; someone is gl-glaring at me. Th-the only ones that d-don't are m-my Otou-sama and m-my sister." Beads of water started to form on the sides of her eyes. "G-gomen, I-I have to go."

She turned away and ran off, missing Kakashi's presence along the way. The man then decided to reveal himself to Inari. "I have only one thing to add to what Hinata so masterfully said. That was quite the speech Hinata gave to you. If I have to say, both she and Naruto-kun understand what you are going through very well. Even so, they are both still working hard to improve themselves. Perhaps you should do the same." He was gone in an instant.

**With Hinata.**

The Hyuga only ran for a short time before happening upon Naruto. Luckily for her, she was able to hold back her tears. They now stared at each other with an expression of surprise. Naruto recovered first and walked over to her with a determined expression. When he reached her, he averted his eyes. "Hinata-chan, can I ask you something?"

Her reddening face nodded. "H-Hai."

"If you don't mind, I was hoping that you would practice reacting with me." Her eyes widened in surprised, yet Naruto continued. "I don't think the tree walking exercise will be enough to handle Zabuza. We have to get better at working together. If you don't want to, I'd understand though. I'm just hoping that if we get better at that, then I won't get her hurt again."

Affected by his previous serious expression and his current hesitance, Hinata nodded. "Hai Naruto-kun; w-we should pr-practice a-at least o-once."

Naruto smiled widely at her answer. "That's great Hinata-chan. I found this great spot where we won't knock down too many trees. We can train there. Follow me." Hinata smiled as she followed Naruto to his the spot he chose. It was a large clearing that was still surrounded by forests. He quickly formed a very familiar hand-seal. "Shadow Clone Jutsu." Twenty extra Naruto popped into the area. Hinata held out her hand to the original. Their hands touched, which led to them being surrounded by light.

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**Another chapter is released exactly one week later. I really didn't get to the bridge fight on this one. I changed the author note at the end of the previous chapter accordingly. I am certain about what the next chapter is about. PS: Hinata will be pulling out a flashy new song.**

**One more thing. The problem between Naruto and Hinata that was created by Naruto's big mouth isn't dealt with yet. It is just in the coffin. Got to put in the nails next.  
**

**Next Chapter: The Bridge.**


	12. The Bridge: Chapter 12

**Underlined speech is thought.**

Italicized _words_ signify emphasis put on words or a change in tone_._

_Italicized sentences are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is **bolded,** it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is underlined, it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is (underlined), it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. The reverse is true with bolding. If a word is **b**olded at the first letter and underlined at the last, it is when their words are out of sync and Naruto's voice comes first. The reverse is true of thi**s**._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: Naruto returns to the house and immediately goes to Hinata. The resulting conversation makes her faint. This leads to Kakashi making a joke. The breakfast leads to more jokes. On the next day, Naruto and Sasuke finally master the tree walking exercise, leading to Hinata joining them for a bit. After that came dinner, when Tsunami tried for some revenge against the jonin. Kakashi only took advantage of the attempt. The next event was Inari yelling at them for working so hard; to which Naruto retaliates. As Inari resulting crying is interrupted by Hinata. She helps him understand Naruto through a speech. When she leaves, Kakashi wraps it up. As she is running, Hinata finds Naruto. They decide on some last moment training.)

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**May 21, 2009, a week since the previous chapter.**

**Here is a chapter people have been waiting for, the bridge battle. Whether or not you think the battle ends this chapter or in the next one depends on you. _Enjoy_.**

"**The Bridge"**

Kakashi gave Sakura and Sasuke a lazy gaze after assembling them for the morning. Tazuna was behind him. Sakura raised her hand. "Kakashi-sensei, where are Naruto and Hinata?"

Kakashi could only sigh. "They decided to practice their reacting ability out last night. They stayed up at least two hours past the usual time they would go to sleep. Add in how doing that makes them sleepy, I doubt they will be waking up anytime soon. It will be a bit better if we go and wait for them at the bridge."

"Sounds like a super plan to me. It's not like today is going to be the day of the attack."

Kakashi's eye widened half a millimeter. "I have something I have to get first."

Being the talkative one, Sakura asked. "What is that Kakashi-sensei?"

He gave her the U-eye. "I rather not say." He left to get what he needed. "I hope that Naruto-kun and Hinata don't mind if I borrow some of their weapons. I'm sure that they will be groggy, so waking them would be a bad idea. There is the chance he won't be there; and we have to go. If we don't go, the other workers will think Tazuna is dead or scared. That would defeat the purpose of us continuing this mission. Sasuke and Sakura-chan should be enough… for now." Once he left, it only took only a minute for him to return. "Let's get to that bridge."

Over an hour later, Naruto groggily prepared to get up from his shorter than normal night of sleep. "Ugh~… I hate Kakashi-sensei. Because he had us waking up so early, I can't even sleep late enough to make up for how long I stayed up." His eyes widened. "Wait, shouldn't I be sleeping longer. That always happens when I react with Hinata-chan." The expression changed into a smile. "Maybe we are getting better at this. I should actually thank Kakashi-sensei for those early mornings. I won't tell him that though."

He looked around and noticed Tsunami. She noticed him a smiled. "Ah, Naruto-san, you are awake. You haven't slept as much as Kakashi-san said you would."

"Where is~ Kakashi-sensei?"

"He left for the bridge with Sasuke-san, Sakura-san, and Tou-san. He said that you and Hinata-chan may be sleeping till noon."

"KAKASHI-SENSEI LEFT US?!" He popped out of bed and started to switch from his pajamas to his usual outfit, to Tsunami's slight embarrassment. The blond dashed out of the room and to where he knew Hinata was sleeping. He reached for her covers and stopped before touching them. "That was close. There's no telling what she is wearing under there." He started pushing on her shoulder through the blanket. "Hinata-chan, wake up."

Hinata opened her eyes, which looked even groggier than Naruto's did. "I had another dream about that woman again. I didn't know I could have songs like that." She sat up, causing the blanket to fall to her waist, and looked at Naruto. "Sleepy." She let out a strong yawn that she instinctively hid with her hand.

Despite the fact that Hinata was wearing full body pajamas that were baggy enough for great modesty, Naruto blushed as if she weren't wearing a thing. What got him was how the smooth silk clothes matched her eyes to a tee. "This can't be Hinata-chan. When did she get this cute?"

After rubbing her eyes in an adorable manner for a few seconds, Hinata gave Naruto another look. The moment ended with a short squeal and the blankets being pulled to her lips. "N-N-Naruto-kun."

Naruto stood up straight and started rubbing his head with his eyes closed as the blushing disappeared. "Gomen Hinata-chan, I didn't mean to scare you like that. I'll leave you alone now."

Hinata would have protested him leaving the room like that if it weren't for the fact that the first thing she is going to do is change. She quickly did that and noticed that her weapon pouch seemed a bit lighter. She checked it and found that she had half the weapons as before. She opened the door and looked at Naruto. She quickly switched to looking down. "D-did y-you b-borrow a-a-any of m-my w-weapons."

"Of course not Hinata-chan. I have all my own weapons." He patted his weapon pouch and noticed something different. He reached into it to make sure. "HEY, where are the rest of my weapons?"

Hinata's eyes widened a bit. "Naruto-kun as well."

Tsunami, who happened to be nearby, walked up to them. "I have an idea. When I thought everyone else left, Kakashi-san came back in and went to where each of you was sleeping. Taking your things sounds like something that crude man would do."

Naruto crossed his arms with an expression of annoyance. "Why would Kakashi-sensei do that?"

Hinata's eyes widened in shock. "N-Naruto-kun, we-have-to-go."

Naruto could only follow Hinata out of the building. Using the knowledge of tree climbing, the pair traveled through the trees instead of along the ground. "What's wrong Hinata-chan?"

"K-Kakashi-sensei t-took our w-weapons because he m-may be worried."

"Wait, are you saying that Zabuza might show up today." He saw Hinata nod. "Then why are we going so slow?"

Naruto suddenly bolted forward, only for something to his right to catch his attention and make him stop. This allowed Hinata to catch up. "W-what's wrong N-Naruto-kun."

The blond narrowed his eyes. "Someone cut up that boar over there. There are also cuts on the trees leading back to the old man's house. It smells of trouble."

"Y-your r-right Naruto-kun. Let m-me check i-it out." She ran through the set of required hand-seals. "Byakugan." She gasped and brought her hands to her mouth. "Two men w-with swords are h-heading for T-Tazuna's house. Luckily, th-they're n-not sh-shinobi."

"I'll take care of them. You go after Kakashi-sensei. I'm sure that I'm faster than you, so it shouldn't take me very long."

Hinata nodded. "Hai." She turned the original direction as Naruto turned back. "Even I'm surprised at how he decided which of us does what so quickly." She focused forward with focus like a beam. "Naruto-kun will be fine. I have to do what he asked me to."

Naruto quickly made his way to Tazuna's house. "I'm happy Hinata-chan went with that. There's no telling what those thugs can do. It is actually safer for her to be with Kakashi-sensei because he can hold off Zabuza one on one."

**All the way to the bridge.**

The group arrived at the center of the bridge, they found that every worker that would normally be there was absent. Only a moment passed as a mist started to form around the area. Kakashi's eye glided side to side. "So he is~ alive. He's also raring to go."

Sakura looked around worriedly. "Kakashi-sensei, this is the Hidden Mist Jutsu, right?"

Kakashi only nodded. A deep voice from within the mist reached their ears. "Kakashi, it has been a while. I can't help but notice how some of your more interesting brats are missing. The darker one is still trembling like a leaf. It really suits someone representing your village."

A massive group of Zabuza appeared which Sasuke smirked at. "I'm excited." In a single second, he tested his two kunai's sharpness on each of the Zabuza. They all were reduced to water. "You can't fool me with knockoffs."

Zabuza revealed himself a short distance away. "Hump, the brat's improved. It looks like a rival has appeared for you Haku."

Standing beside him was the same boy that took Zabuza away during the previous event. "It appears so."

Kakashi focused his eye on the boy. "It seems that I was right about him as well. That masked one is obviously Zabuza's comrade with how comfortable they are together."

Sakura gave the masked boy a white eyed glare. "HE SHOULD STOP HIDING AND FACE US!"

"I'll fight him. There is nothing I hate more than those who pretend to be on your side and be nice only to turn against you."

Haku focused his attention on Sasuke. "He is impressive, even if your clones have only a tenth of your true strength."

"We still have the advantage here. Get him."

"Hai." The boy disappeared and reappeared right in front of Sasuke. His senbon and Sasuke's kunai connected. With many rapid rotations, their weapons clashed just as many times.

Kakashi leapt back a bit while holding Tazuna's arm. His next words were with an authoritative tone. "Sakura; let Sasuke take care of him. You step in front of Tazuna and never leave my side."

"Right Kakashi-sensei."

Sasuke and Haku continued their attacks before locking their weapons. "I do not wish to kill you, but it seems that you don't intend to back down."

Sasuke smirked. "Don't say stupid things."

"That may be so, but you won't be able to keep up next time for two reasons. One, I have one of your hands occupied. Two, we are surrounded by water. You will only be able to run now." To everyone's surprise, Haku started forming seals with his remaining hand. "Flying Water Senbon." The water on the ground rose up and formed many ice needles, all pointed at the pair. They fired off and reached the point the instant Haku leapt away. "He's gone."

Sasuke appeared right behind him. "Now you will only be able to run from me." The fight started with Haku creating distance, only to be stopped by a shuriken. Sasuke reached him and began a taijutsu bout that ended with Haku being kicked away. Sasuke lowered his stance with his kunai ready. "Looks like I am faster than you."

Kakashi looked at Zabuza with his usual bored expression. "You shouldn't underestimate my team. Sasuke is the number one rooky in the village. Sakura-chan is among the brightest. Hinata is the heiress of the Hyuga clan. Lastly, there is Konoha's Number One, Unpredictable, Hyperactive, and Knuckleheaded Shinobi."

Zabuza only chuckled. "Haku, we may be driven back at this rate."

"Understood Zabuza-sama." A foreboding chill filled the air as Haku started up many unique hand-seals. "Demonic Ice Mirrors." The water rose up again, but instead formed many mirrors around Sasuke. Haku walked into one of the mirrors and appeared on all of them.

Kakashi prepared to dash forward, but noticed a presence behind him. His eye widened when he saw Hinata running up to him. "Hinata, I expected you to be sleeping right now. Why are you up this early? I can still see signs of tiredness on her face."

She looked down as if she was yelled at. "Gomen K-Kakashi-s-sensei. I-I d-didn't want t-to leave y-you alone."

His expression turned serious. "It doesn't matter right now. You should help Sakura with guarding Tazuna. I doubt she is in any condition to help out. Now that I think about it, if I try to help Sasuke, I'll be leaving those three alone with Zabuza."

The missing-nin smirked at the newcomer. "Looks like the most interesting brat is here. The powers she demonstrated before have piqued my interest." He held his sword straight out to Kakashi. "Once you are all dead, she is mine. The idea of having a weapon superior to even this... is too good to pass up."

Hinata felt her breath get caught in her lungs. "He wants me. I really am just a weapon to some others."

Kakashi's eye turned up to a U-shape. "You're getting ahead of yourself Zabuza. You have to get through me first."

Zabuza's smirk only grew as he formed a hand-seal. "I have already planned for that. Hidden Mist Jutsu." Sasuke's yelling filled the air. "Looks like Haku is getting started."

Kakashi clenched his fist in frustration as he heard this and saw his student disappear in the mist. He lifted his headband off of his other eye. "Hinata, I need you to use your Byakugan. Even with my Sharingan, your vision is still better. Tell me where he is coming from."

"Hai." She started going through the hand-seals, but felt a foreboding presence behind her. She turned back to see four Zabuza without their swords.

"NO~!" Kakashi tried to take them out, but one survived. This one hit Hinata in the side with a powerful kick that sent her flying before Kakashi could get him. "HINATA~!"

Standing at Hinata's trajectory was the true Zabuza with his sword lying on the bridge. He caught her by the back of her jacket and held her wincing face up to his own. "Without anyone around to transform for, this girl isn't really a threat. With her bruised ribs, Haku shouldn't have any trouble keeping the two apart." With a spin, he roughly tossed her into the dome of mirrors.

Kakashi's frustration nearly doubled. "I can't believe that I let my rear guard down like that. He must have prepared those clones beforehand. He even made sure they weren't carrying his sword so they'll be faster. Not only that, the mist is getting even thicker. At this rate, I won't be able to see at all."

Haku looked at the two people in his cage with great intensity. Sasuke was panting with how his injuries sapped his energy. Hinata was standing while hunched over a bit and holding her right side. She also looked like she was having trouble staying awaken as well. "I am making sure to keep the distance between them just far enough for me to stop any attempt for them to get together while taking their conditions into account. Even so, the neither has made any attempts at this. I'm curious; why haven't you attempted that weapon transformation?"

Sasuke only scoffed. "If it were up to me, I would be smashing all your mirrors with her on my arm right now."

Haku narrowed his eyes behind his mask. "This isn't the type of situation where she should be picky about whom she transforms for. Could it be that she also doesn't have a choice. This could prove to be a large chink in Zabuza-sama's plan." Haku suddenly felt a speck of killer intent from behind a mirror. His hand reached out of the mirror in time to catch a kunai, courtesy of the one with pink hair. "It looks like she simply guessed where I would be." He let himself come further out of the mirror. Another weapon was sensed coming for him. This time, he was struck along his mask, which knocked him out of the mirror.

He looked over to see a large puff of smoke. When it cleared, the orange wearing blond was revealed. "NARUTO UZUMAKI HAS ARRIVED!" In his caution, Haku moved back into the mirror. "THE HERO ALWAYS APPEARS AT THE LAST MINUTE TO SAVE THE DAY!"

"Bah, what a brat." Zabuza did a half spin and tossed four shuriken. All but two people watched in surprised at the shuriken hurtled towards Naruto.

Haku felt frantic. "No… by entering the mirrors, I won't be able to block them in time."

"The dobe is going to get killed."

Hinata smiled. "Great job Naruto-kun. This is just like I told you last night." Seconds after the shuriken connected, he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

In his moment of shock, Haku missed another Naruto entering his mirrors. The blond made a beeline for where Hinata was standing. "I CAN'T LET THOSE TO TOUCH!" He shot out of his a mirror and landed between the two. A strong kick from Haku sent him slightly past Sasuke before he went back into another mirror.

Hinata clenched her teeth. "What can we do? It looks like he is in every mirror. No matter which one he is really in, he can see us all." Her eyes widened. "That's it! That may be his strength and weakness. Now I have to deal with a mirror's primary trait."

Hinata pulled out a small slip of paper and hid it under her body. She cut her finger with a kunai and started writing on the paper. Haku focused on her back with a serious expression under his mask. "She is planning something."

His focus switched to Sasuke, who was going through some hand-seals. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu."

Haku had no reaction to the failed attack. "You will not be able to melt this ice with that weak of a flame." He looked at Hinata in time to see her toss a kunai with the message wrapped around it to Naruto's feet. "I didn't expect the message to be that short. It doesn't matter. As long as I focus on her, neither should be able to get close."

Naruto took the paper with 'secret message' written on it. "Hinata-chan doesn't want the other guy to see it." He bent over and looked at the other side which had four short messages; 'completely cover eyes after hearing (light),' 'give to Sasuke,' 'cover me,' and the last was 'burn.' Naruto immediately handed the message to Sasuke. "I wonder what the first message meant."

Sasuke only smirked. "I don't know what that Hyuga is planning, but it is better than nothing." He performed some hand-seals. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu." The piece of paper was burned to ashes.

Hinata saw this as her cue. She interlaced her fingers and closed her eyes. "I hope this works."

Haku's eyes widened beneath his mask. "What is she doing? Whatever it is, I have a bad feeling."

_Upon an orderly ((plea)), with the lure of a (song)  
A sacred song whispering to the (new) (star)_

Haku shot out of a mirror after Hinata. "I miscalculated!" He was blocked off by a wall of flame as well as some kunai and had to head into another mirror.

_An illusionary light was here replaced._

After hearing Hinata say 'light,' Sasuke ducked down and brought Naruto down with him. He covered his forehead with his arm to shroud his eyes in darkness. Even in that position, it still looked as bright as day. Haku faced this source of light directly. "What is this?" As soon as he thought this, the light became dense enough to shroud Hinata's existence. The light spread out and encompassed the mirrors. Not only was this light brighter than even the sun, it was also reflected endlessly by the mirrors. Even with the mask he was wearing and by shutting his eyes, it was too late. Haku could only describe it as staring at the sun wide-eyed for over a minute.

Back out of the mirrors, Sakura, Tazuna, and Kakashi also noticed the light. Kakashi's eyes widened. "Even with how Zabuza made this mist thick enough to blind my Sharingan, this light pierces the mist so easily. No flash bomb could do that. It is also lasting too long for one." He smirked under his mask. "Zabuza is distracted and~ I can see an outline of his body."

Zabuza's eye's widened when he heard Kakashi heading straight for him. He could do nothing in time to make up for his moment of distraction. Unfortunately for him, this lapse in attention gave Kakashi the chance to pierce his right shoulder with a kunai. He also found himself staring directly at the Sharingan eye.

Haku suddenly sensed his master in danger, but could do nothing. The pain in his eyes was too great for him to do much of anything. Although his eyes didn't work, his ears did. What he heard next did not bode well for him.

_On a helpless but pretty (night)__  
Soothing and comforting  
__And prospering on the (eyelids)__  
Surrounded by the lively and bright fields of **(**heaven**)**  
As (I), at this moment  
Make this promise to join like twins  
Like a string of breaths  
Winds grab a hold of **(**us**)**  
I, at this moment  
And through eternity  
Wear the winds of the red (soul)  
As I make this promise  
And bind my soul to (yours)_

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**And that is the end of the chapter. I said that the next song would be _flashy_, but I bet _that_ wasn't what you readers were thinking. I still manage to make it into a big thing. There is no way Zabuza and Haku can win now. I hope that this chapter has impressed.**

**Next Chapter: Human.**


	13. Human: Chapter 13

Underlined speech is thought.

Italicized _words_ signify emphasis put on words or a change in tone_._

_Italicized sentences are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is **bolded,** it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is underlined, it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is (underlined), it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. The reverse is true with bolding. If a word is **b**olded at the first letter and underlined at the last, it is when their words are out of sync and Naruto's voice comes first. The reverse is true of thi**s**._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: Thanks to the night of training, Naruto and Hinata don't wake with the others. They go off to the bridge without them. Naruto wakes up later to be annoyed at being left. He wakes Hinata before leaving. On the way, they see potential trouble. At the bridge, the remainder of the team faces off with Zabuza and Haku. In the middle of the fight between Sasuke and Haku, Hinata shows up. After the dome of ice mirrors are created, Zabuza's water clones take advantage of a small distraction to send Hinata there. Naruto shows up a bit later and joins the two. Hinata decides to put the song she learned in her dream to use, blinding Haku. It also distracts Zabuza long enough for Kakashi to injure his shoulder.)

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**May 28th, one week after the previous chapter.**

**I have to admit that anonymous reviews are a bit annoying, but for different reasons from what you may be thinking. Anonymous reviewers tend to ask very good questions, and I can't even reply to them. They may ask the questions in annoying ways, but I have three younger brothers. At least give me something to reply to from now on. Getting a profile is very easy. Here is the chapter.**

"**Human."**

At the end of the reaction, Naruto stood in the center of the dome with Hinata's sword form on his arm. Each mirror had an image of Haku as before, but he was now covering the eye-holes of the mask with his arms. The astral form of Hinata behind Naruto clasped her hands together. "Please work."

They felt great relief when the many images became one. Because of this, Sasuke was able to see his own reflection. This made a smirk grow on his face. "This will bring me a little bit closer to killing _him._"

The one image fell out of the mirror and to his knees. He took the mask off and quickly covered his face with his arms. Those arms parted a bit, only to close again. All of the ice mirrors started to melt away. "Just kill me."

Everyone's eyes widened at the sudden request. Naruto slashed the air with his left arm. "WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?!"

"That light was very strong. If I am not blinded for life, then my sight will still be permanently affected. I am nothing more than a broken tool right now. I am useless to Zabuza-sama now. It is best that I am disposed of."

The transparent Hinata's eyes widened. "A broken tool? Is that how he sees himself? How can a anyone think that way?" She suddenly found herself feeling heavy.

Naruto's arm slashed the air again. "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! YOU'RE NOT A TOOL…YOU ARE A PERSON! YOU HAVE NO REASON TO BE WORKING FOR A GUY LIKE ZABUZA!"

He looked to the right to see the sword disappearing the Hinata reappearing. She looked at him with half lidded eyes. "Gomen." After that, she fell onto him.

He caught her around the waist and started shaking her a bit. "Hey-Hinata-chan, are you okay?" The response to his question was her soft breathing. "She's just sleeping. Reacting must have taken all her energy." He turned his eyes towards Haku. They widened when he saw the boy with his arms down in a completely defenseless position. "It's you… from the forest."

"Hai, Naruto-san. I apologize for not telling you. I am really happy I met you then. I'm sure that if we had met under much different circumstances, we would be great friends. I am sorry that your hands must be stained by my tainted blood. Please, kill me."

"YOU'RE INSANE! WHY SHOULD I DO THAT?! I AM NOT GOING TO KILL SOMEONE JUST BECAUSE THEY WANT TO DIE! WHAT'S WITH THIS CRAP ABOUT YOU BEING A BROKEN TOOL?! YOU'RE HUMAN, JUST LIKE THE REST OF US!"

"What about her?"

Naruto froze for a moment as he looked at Hinata leaning against him. His hand tightened on her waist as he turned resolute eyes to Haku. "She's human too. So what if she has some special power that others don't. So what if she is a bit different from everyone else. She has a heart, a soul, and she has dreams. You can't condemn her just because she is a bit different."

Even though his eyes remained closed, Haku lifted his eyes. He looked back down with a small smile. "It almost sounds as if he is speaking for both her and himself. Dreams huh?" There was a long pause. "This entire conflict is based on the clashing of dreams. Everyone strives to make their dreams reality. There are bound to be conflicts. The only thing that can happen is for one dream to be squashed. My dream is to only make the dreams of who I call precious come to reality. Now that I am crippled, there is no point in me living on. I guess that I won't get to die furthering Zabuza-sama's goals."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "I've had enough. I'm shutting this guy up right now."

Before Naruto could do anything, Sasuke appeared behind Haku, who fell to the ground. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR TEME?!"

"Don't worry dobe. I only knocked the guy out. If I kill a defenseless person, I'll be no better than _him._" He pulled out some thick iron thread that he had and started tying Haku up, making sure that even one handed seals would be impossible. "Let's go see if Kakashi-sensei needs any help. I doubt it though, seeing how the mist is clearing up right now."

The genius Uchiha left the water covered spot the instant later. "WAIT UP TEME!" He grumbled a bit to himself before looking at Hinata. This quickly calmed him down. He ducked down and let Hinata's limp form fall onto his back. He slipped his arms under her legs and carried her away from the spot.

It didn't take him long to find where Kakashi and Zabuza were fighting. There was a lot of space around them to fight in. Kakashi faced down Zabuza, who's right arm hung limply from a wound in the shoulder. Because of his injury, Zabuza could no longer maintain his mist at all. Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "Give up Zabuza. I doubt that you will be able to do anything against me in your current condition. Do you even realize what you were trying to do? It is not the way of the shinobi to destroy the livelihoods and dreams of countless innocents just for a profit. We shinobi are not raised to act by money alone."

Zabuza laughed loudly. "I have never heard something so foolish in my life. Why should I care about the dreams of others? They are all mere stepping stones on my way towards my own goals. Caring for them would be a hindrance." He made the unknowing mistake of staring Kakashi directly in the eyes.

Kakashi smirked. "It is good that I wasn't forced to use my Sharingan heavily enough for him to learn too much. I can just hypnotize him as much as I want. I don't want to show my genin a brutal kill on their first mission like this." Kakashi imagined Zabuza charging him with his sword at the ready.

Zabuza followed the hypnotic suggestion perfectly. Kakashi reacted by deflecting the sword a bit and ducking under it. He easily stabbed the Demon of the Mist in the back of his left shoulder. "Damn you Kakashi."

The copycat gave out a cool gaze. "You seem to be getting a bit angry. I'm sure that also isn't something you were taught as a shinobi. Perhaps you should go back to the academy."

Zabuza's eyes showed rage for a moment before calming suddenly. He looked around a bit and noticed Haku unconscious and tied up tightly further down the bridge. He widened his eyes greatly at this. "To think that Haku actually lost. If it wasn't for that blond brat, things would have gone according to plan perfectly. Now it looks like I am going to lose." He suddenly sensed multiple vile presences even further down the bridge. He didn't notice before because of how he saw Haku with a tunnel vision. "What are you doing here with all these men?"

What he saw was Gato in a nice suit and a cast, along with countless thugs standing behind him. The man developed a greasy smirk along his face. "Nothing much, just a change of plans; or at least your plans. I planed to have all these men kill you after your mist fades. Hiring shinobi from villages is so expensive and risky. Missing shinobi are easier to deal with because no one cares if I just kill them off. The problem with my plan is how you failed. You look more like a baby devil right now. I at least hoped that you would be able to kill one of them. Instead, we get you bleeding all over the accursed bridge and your partner unconscious and tied up. That reminds me… I owe that little brat something." He turned his head a bit to address his thugs. "Go and rough him up a bit, but leave him alive for me. Kill him and none of those who participate will be paid."

The men charged in with the blunt parts of their weapons ready. Naruto noticed this and turned to Sasuke. "SASUKE…HELP HIM!"

The Uchiha scoffed and remembered how he was holding both ends of the metal wire Haku was wrapped in so it would stay taunt. With a strong pull, he brought Haku away from the charging group of men to where he was. Zabuza only narrowed his eyes at this. "What was the point? It's not like I care what happens to him. He's just a useful tool at the time."

"HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT?!"

Zabuza turned to Naruto. "What's that supposed to mean brat? Haku is my tool, no more or less. It is no different from how your village is using you. That is the fate of all shinobi under someone else. You're no different from how you use that girl on your back." The man flinched back from the small yet sudden bit of killer intent coming from the boy. "Since when did he have red eyes?"

"HINATA-CHAN IS NOT A TOOL… SHE IS MY FRIEND? I DON'T BELIEVE YOU~! YOU TWO HAVE BEEN TOGETHER FOR YEARS!"

"Stop being stupid. Gato used me and I used Haku. That is the way the world of the shinobi works. I only desired Haku for his bloodline…nothing more."

Thanks to the yelling close by, Hinata began to wake up again. "What's happening? Are we winning?" It required a great amount of her mental power to remain awake to listen to what was going on.

Gato faced Naruto. "What an annoying brat."

"IS THAT ALL HAKU IS TO YOU! HE LOVES YOU SO MUCH; HE SAID THAT WANTS TO DIE PROTECTING YOUR DREAMS! DO YOU REALLY NOT CARE ABOUT HIM! IS HE REALLY JUST A TOOL TO YOU?!"

Tears started to flow down his eyes and onto Hinata's arm. This raised her alertness a bit, but she was still very tired, or else her eyes would be wide. She could only hear what was being yelled around her.

"WILL I BECOME LIKE YOU IF I BECOME STRONG?! IF SO… I RATHER STAY WEAK MY WHOLE LIFE! I WILL NEVER LIVE BY TREATING OTHERS LIKE TOOLS! HAKU WAS READY TO THROW HIS LIFE AWAY FOR YOU! HE DOESN'T HAVE _HIS_ OWN DREAM! YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT HIM AT ALL! I WILL NEVER LET MYSELF BE LIKE THAT!"

Her eyes finally opened from the shock of those words. Hinata looked up at Naruto with a star-struck look. "Naruto~-kun~." From there, she was content to faint on his back with a bright red face.

Zabuza turned to Naruto and glared. "Shut up. I…I." He chuckled a bit and clenched his left fist. "Your words sting brat. I don't know what it is about you, but I can't help but think you are right…. In the end, we shinobi are still human. Human's becoming emotionless tools will never happen in this world. Let me borrow a kunai kid. It's time for me~ to do something."

"Huh." The tears stopped flowing for the moment before he nodded. "Fine." Naruto leaned forward to keep Hinata balanced and pulled out a kunai. He then tossed it to Zabuza.

The man spun quickly and caught it in his left hand. "Gato, I planned on killing you in the end as well. I don't like things going against my plans. I wouldn't be able to do this if the damage to my left was just a bit further down my arm. It is dangerously close to my heart though."

He began to spin rapidly, causing his arms to spread out. He pulled them in the best he could to increase his speed. Gato looked on at this with a confused expression. "What is that failure doing?" Once Zabuza's speed was great enough to create a bit of wind, his left arm snapped out. The business tycoon couldn't even blink before the kunai found itself in his neck. He gargled blood out of his mouth. The last image he saw was Zabuza's demonically grinning through the bandages around his face.

Kakashi's eye took on the U-shape. "Well… alls well that ends well. Zabuza, do you know where the bridge workers are?"

"Haku immobilized them and we took them into the forest. The boy really is too soft for this life. If it was just me, they would all be dead. Actually, I would have killed many others like them if it wasn't for Haku. He's made me~ soft too."

One of the thugs stepped forward. "HEY… AREN'T YOU GUY A BIT TOO RELAXED! YOU KILLED OUR MEAL TICKET! ONCE WE MAKE SURE YOU PAY FOR THIS, WE WILL PILLAGE THAT VILLAGE FOR ALL IT'S WORTH!" All the men behind him yelled in agreement. "LET'S GO~~!"

Naruto turned to Kakashi. "Kakashi-sensei, don't you have some special jutsu that can beat all them."

Kakashi turned to Naruto with his U-eye. "I'm not reputed to have copied over one thousand jutsu for nothing. EVERYONE, FALL BACK!" As everyone including Zabuza followed the order, Kakashi started running through some hand-seals, ending with tiger. "Fire Style: Firewall." He somehow blew out a stream of fire though his mask without burning it. As soon as the flaming stream hit the bridge, it spread along the bridge's width. Each man stopped in their tracks. "Good thing that these men aren't shinobi. They don't even realize that those flames are too thin to do any damage if they ran through them. That's why I rarely get a chance to use this."

"DON'T WORRY…HE CAN'T KEEP THIS UP FOREVER! HE HAS TO BE GETTING TIRED!"

Kakashi decided to cover up his Sharingan and then narrowed his eye. "Keep thinking that. I still have plenty of chakra left. I'll just wait until they give up." He then looked over to Zabuza. "He's bleeding heavily out of his back. He's standing on pure willpower right now. The Demon of the Mist will not see tomorrow." Everyone looked behind after hearing cheering coming from _behind_ them. "Looks like there is some good news." He let the wall of fire fade away.

All of the thugs stopped in their tracks except for the leader. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING~! THEY ARE JUST VILLAGERS!" They cautiously started to move forward until a large bolt landed in front of them.

Inari revealed himself to be the leader of the group. "YOU SHOULD RUN NOW! TRY TO COME ON OUR LAND, AND YOU'LL HAVE TO DEAL WITH EVERYONE HERE!"

Naruto leaned forward to balance Hinata on his back and formed his hand-seal. "Shadow Clone Jutsu." Nine extra Naruto without Hinata on their back showed up.

Kakashi turned his head to give this a look. "Creating countless regular clones should be able to scare them senseless. Can't announce them to be normal though." He quickly formed the hand-seals for the Clone Jutsu then switched to the one Naruto used. "Shadow Clone Jutsu: Kakashi Style." A number of extra Kakashi popped up equal to the number of thugs.

The first man to run away was the one who tried to lead them. All of the others soon followed him down the rope that lead to the boat they came in. Most of them fell into the water. The villagers cheered again from the sure victory. During this, Zabuza started walked over to Sasuke. The Uchiha automatically started to get defensive. "Calm down brat. I just want to see Haku. There's not much I can do to you in this condition."

Kakashi walked over to where Sasuke was. "Don't worry about Zabuza. He isn't our enemy now. You can let go of those metal wires now." Sasuke nodded and released his hold on Haku.

Zabuza lowered his sad eyes at the boy he spent years of his life with. "I have always lived on my own. I never depended on another in my life thinking that it would make me softer. I never expected that someone depending on me would do the same. I know that I don't have the time to go back to how I was. In a way, I'm thankful to you Haku. I have never felt so peaceful in my life." He looked up when he saw something small and white passed by his vision. The small change in his center of gravity made him fall backwards. "Was that snow. I don't need to see this. It's almost as if Haku is trying to cry for me while still unconscious." He tried to move his legs, but they trembled violently. "Looks like I'm ready to go at any moment. It doesn't even hurt anymore. I just want to sleep." He clenched his left fist. "I can't do that right now." He turned to where Naruto was. "Your name is Naruto, right? I have something to ask of you."

Naruto nodded with a confused expression. "What is it?"

"I don't know if I will last much longer. I want you to relay this last command to Haku … live. I want him to build himself the peaceful kind of life he was born for. Once this bridge is complete, this village will have many possibilities for comfort and family."

Naruto's eyes widened when Zabuza fell to his back. "WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?! YOU CAN TELL HIM YOURSELF WHEN HE WAKES UP!"

Zabuza only closed his eyes. "What a naïve child. Naruto~ huh… I can see that kid becoming something else in the future if he doesn't get himself killed."

"ZABUZA~!" Kakashi placed his hand on Naruto's left shoulder. When Naruto looked at him, Kakashi shook his head slowly with his eye closed. He let his arms fall to his sides as he stood up straight in a show of respect. He suddenly felt much lighter, causing his eyes to widen. "Hinata."

He turned around to find Kakashi holding her up while giving him a lazy gaze. "Very smooth Naruto." He looked up a bit. "I guess that he has gained enough of my respect to drop the honorifics."

The following days passed by very calmly. Details about what happened in the dome of ice mirrors were told by Naruto. Sasuke made sure to fix some of the exaggerations about Naruto's exploits. Hinata tried to downplay the exaggerations of her own exploits.

After two weeks, all of the shinobi visited a wooden cross with Zabuza's sword behind it. Haku was on his knees and crying silently. Sakura looked at this then at Kakashi. "Kakashi-sensei, are we really just tools."

Kakashi gave out his bored expression. "Shinobi aren't really supposed to seek out their personal goals. Serving their country is most important; Konoha included."

Naruto's eyelids flattened in annoyance. "Is that what is means to become a real shinobi? I don't like it."

"Well Naruto, every shinobi must live with this issue plaguing at their minds. Exceptions are rare, even among missing-nin."

Some time of silence passed that everyone spent in thought. Naruto clenched his fists and developed a serious expression. "I've decided. I'm not going to be like that. I am going to live a life without regret, living my own way. I'll never go back on anything I say or promise. This is my nindo…my ninja way."

Everyone looked at Naruto with slightly widened eyes. Kakashi and Hinata were the first to smile at him. "Well said Naruto. Let's just hope that it doesn't get you in trouble."

"Naruto-kun is right; I can't live my life worrying about my abilities. I have to live my way, as who I~ want to be. From those words, I can be sure that what he said on the bridge wasn't a dream."

Haku stood up and fixed his paler eyes on Naruto with as smile on his face. "Arigato Naruto, I will never forget meeting you." He turned to Hinata. "I am thankful to you as well Hinata."

She stepped back and began waving her hands. "N-n-no. I-I'm the one who bl-bl."

Haku stopped her by raising his hand. "I am not really blinded. Everything is simply blurred a lot. It is still enough to avoid obstacles while walking. I am more worried about what I have done if I had my full sight. When I woke, I was ready to hurl myself off the bridge. I couldn't find it because of my blindness. This gave Naruto the time to give me Zabuza-sama's last message. I owe as much to you as to Naruto. I will live my life the best I can." Hinata blushed at the comparison then nodded.

**Next day on the bridge.**

The team of Konoha prepared themselves for leaving Wave. All of Tazuna's family, one worker, and Haku were there to see them off. "We finished the bridge thanks to you five, but _this_ is super sad."

Kakashi smiled a bit under his mask. "You were a great host." His eye turned to Tsunami, who looked away without turning her head. He didn't miss the smile that forced its way to her lips.

Naruto's face was strained and he was trembling a bit. Hinata looked at this and chuckled internally. "That is exactly what he looks like when he's trying not to cry."

"Don't worry… we will visit."

Inari had the same look. "You… better Naruto-nii-san. You too…Hinata-nee-chan."

The first time she heard that, Hinata was taken aback. She just smiled and nodded this time. Naruto continued to try and hold back his tears with a cocky expression. "Inari~, you're sad, right. It's okay if you cry."

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO CAN CRY NARUTO-NII-SAN! I'M JUST FINE!"

Naruto turned around with his hands on the straps of his pack. "Fine…later Inari."

With his back to the people from Wave, Naruto let his tears flow freely at the same time as Inari. Sakura noticed this. "They are like twins."

Hinata also noticed. "I haven't seen~ _this_ side of Naruto-kun." She sighed. "Too bad it has to end soon."

As the group left, Tazuna smiled. "We owe a lot to those kids. They helped change Inari's heart, who then changed the hearts of everyone else. They taught us how to hope once more."

Haku nodded. "Hai, I also owe a lot to them."

Tsunami also nodded. "What do you think we should name this bridge?"

Tazuna rubbed his chin in thought. "I think I have a super perfect name for the bridge."

"Oh~, what would that be."

"The Naruhina Bridge."

Haku smiled at the name. "That is a fine name. Not only because of how it mentions two of this land's heroes, but it has a perfect meaning depending on how you read it. Naru is the word for growth and progress. In some rare uses, hina can mean country. For the bridge that will bring growth to this country, there is no better name than the marriage of their names."

Tazuna chuckled. "That makes me think. What do you think will happen if those two get married?"

Tsunami followed this with her own chuckle. "Half of the villagers may leave just to attend."

Haku nodded. "I know I will. I wish the both of them the best."

* * *

**This chapter is definitely the longest one yet. It is certainly appropriate for the ending of the Wave arc. The next chapter is the return to Konoha followed quickly by the Chunin Exams.**

**Next Chapter: Changes.**


	14. Changes: Chapter 14

Underlined speech is thought.

Italicized_ words _signify emphasis put on words or a change in tone.

_Italicized sentences are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is **bolded,** it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is underlined, it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is (underlined), it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. The reverse is true with bolding. If a word is **b**olded at the first letter and underlined at the last, it is when their words are out of sync and Naruto's voice comes first. The reverse is true of thi**s**._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: With the end of the fight, Haku begged for his own death. Naruto refused with a passion, leading to Sasuke knocking him out. After that, they find Kakashi giving Zabuza a really hard time. Soon after Zabuza finds out about Haku's loss of consciousness, he notices Gato. Zabuza managed to kill him from a distance. Kakashi holds off the thugs that came with him until the villagers show. They scare off the thugs. Two weeks later, they visit Zabuza's grave. Naruto has a speech about his own way of life during this visit, affecting everyone else. They leave on the next day.)

* * *

**June 3, 2009, a week since the last chapter.**

"**Changes."**

Hinata looked down with a forlorn expression as the group of five approached the gate of Konoha. "This will be last day that I will be able to spend with Naruto-kun at all. I'll have to return to my own team soon. I guess that I do miss them. I wonder how Kiba-kun is doing with understanding Shino-kun." She suddenly found herself repressing a chuckle. "We'll still see each other again. It's not like we are going to different villages. We may even get many chances to go on missions together."

Naruto suddenly hopped and pumped his arm into the air. "ALRIGHT~, LET'S CELEBRATE WITH ICHIRAKU!"

Kakashi's eye took on the U-shape. "That is a great idea Naruto. Why don't you four go eat without me? I have to talk to the Hokage about the circumstances and complications of the mission. See you."

Hinata blinked a few times. "Does this mean that I am invited?"

Naruto began hopping with every other one of his steps. Sakura shook her head side to side in disbelief at Naruto's sudden immaturity. Sasuke scowled at the air in front of him. Hinata's eyes stayed on Naruto all the way to the ramen stand. As soon as they walked through the flaps, they saw an elderly man looking at them. "Hello Naruto-kun. I hope that you and your team are hungry. My business has suffered with how long you have been gone." He then looked at the extra member. "You're new."

Naruto took his seat and spread his arms. "We had a really awesome mission Jii-san. It was so awesome that we had to have an extra member. Hinata-chan was awesome too."

The man laughed. "I get it, I get it. You had an awesome time outside of the village. I'm just happy that you're finally back. I really missed your income-ita."

His head jerked forward from a sharp smack to the back of his head. Naruto waved at the teenaged girl. "Hey Ayame-nee-chan. Did you hear me?"

The girl smiled at Naruto. "Hai, I heard you. It's really nice that you are bringing in some of your friends here." The faced Hinata. "My name is Ayame and Tou-san is named Teuchi." She turned back to Naruto. "I hope to see more of your friends soon."

"Me too Naruto-san. There's nothing like free publicity-ita."

"Now that Tou-san is done making jokes, why don't you four place your orders?"

**Back in the Hokage's Tower.**

Kakashi Hatake faced Hiruzen Sarutobi with a lazy eye, which was returned with a smirk. "You seem to already know about Hinata's abilities. Who else knows?"

"The only others who know are her father, Ibiki, and Inoichi."

Kakashi began rubbing his chin. "I see. This is certainly a better kept secret than Naruto's connection to the Kyūbi. From this mission, I can tell that you are ready for that number of people to start increasing. I'm wondering what you were expecting with this mission."

Hiruzen let out a sigh. "Honestly, I was only half expecting Hinata to react, as you call it. The first time that Hinata reacted was around ten years ago. Up until now, there hasn't been any sigh of it happening again. For all these years, the abilities that Hinata displayed on that day have plagued my mind. I know far more about the Kyūbi than I do about her, and my experience tells me that no secret stays a secret forever. I needed to know more about her before she attracted danger to herself." The elder man smiled. "I have to say that I was very happy when you told me that Hinata could only react with Naruto. I think her father will breathe a bit easier as well."

"Did you tell Hiashi-sama about Hinata's involvement in the mission?"

He chuckled a bit. "Not before the mission was assigned. It was kind of a 'in the moment' idea. Keeping it from him after the mission was assigned wouldn't have been posible. He was a bit frustrated, but understood where I was coming from. Can you tell me all the powers that Hinata has demonstrated?"

"As I told you, all her powers are dependent on those songs she sings. I only know of three so far, but there may be even more. The first is the one that allows them to react. The second one I heard was for an attack that I think is called Euro Lumens. Naruto swings Hinata's weapon form and unleashes a tunnel of wind strong enough to defeat an A-classed jutsu. The last I know of is one Hinata can perform by herself. Her body releases a bright flash of light equivalent to at least seven flash bombs. The light is also maintained for a few seconds instead of a single instant. Being caught by this light directly can cause temporary blindness and even permanent damage to the eyes. I know this because the young boy that was under Zabuza was affected. She has also explained her ability to sense when a person is molding chakra, and their chakra levels. This doesn't work when the jutsu in active or uses a constant stream of chakra."

"Is there anything else Kakashi?"

The silver haired man nodded. "Hai. I have noticed that Hinata does a lot more for Naruto than those who don't know them would think."

The Hokage turned curious. "How do you mean?"

"Hinata seems to have an ability to calm Naruto down. With her on the mission, I was able to convince Naruto of things that would have been impossible without her. Although slight, his skills also increase with her around. Hinata also understands Naruto to a great degree. I believe that if we exclude Iruka, she may be the one person in this village who understands him the best. Surprisingly, much of the same goes for when Hinata is with Naruto.."

Hiruzen began rubbing his goatee. "Thinking about what I have heard here, I can't help but wonder how great of a mistake that I made."

Kakashi blinked once then widened his eye in confusion. "Eh, you didn't sound like you were regretting letting Hinata tag along."

"Not at all Kakashi. Even with the unexpected~ complications concerning that mission, no one was hurt and so I have little reason to regret it_._ What I regret are the team assignments."

The widened eye changed from confusion to surprise. "Are you trying to tell me that you want to change the assignments of the teams permanently? It is true that teams have been changed from time to time, but never for new genin. How can we expect them to be able to fit into the new teams?"

"It isn't as hard as you think Kakashi. The genin that we switch up just have to get used to those who will be their new teammate. I think that they will be ready for the switch in time for the Chunin Exams if you need them to be."

Kakashi rubbed his chin a bit. "I see. That could work. If the two teams work and train together for a week or so, switching the teams up won't be as sudden for them. I'm sorry to say that as long as Sakura-chan isn't separated from Sasuke, there will be few complaints in my team. The problem may be in Kurenai's team and Hinata's father."

Knocking was heard on the other side of the door. "The voice of a door guard came out from that side. "Hokage-sama, the two you sent for are here."

The aged man smirked. "I have learned to enjoy these moments of perfect timing."

**Back in the village, a distance between Ichiraku and the village gate.**

A pair of genin walked thorough the village streets, one with a bored expression and one with a hidden expression. "I can't believe how boring these last weeks have been. Without Hinata, team training hasn't been very fun at all. We are also going to be the only two genin from our class who haven't gone on a C-ranked mission. Even the lazy Team Ten got one before us. I hope Hinata gets back soon." The person with him remained silent. "It wouldn't kill you to respond to me a little more."

"I see no need to reiterate reality Kiba."

Kiba narrowed his eyes. "Good thing Hinata already told me what that means." The puppy in his jacket yipped. "If you want me to Akamaru." The Inuzuka focused his chakra and sniffed the air. This was followed by a moment of silence, which piqued Shino's curiosity. "YAHOO~~, HINATA'S BACK!" The puppy was already fifteen meters away when Kiba's feet touched the ground.

Dashing between the feet of the pedestrians, Akamaru made his way along the scent trail. As soon as he found himself getting close, he let out a loud yip, causing all the people around him to jump an inch. The prior warning gave his target time to catch him after jumping up. "A-A-Akamaru-chan." The puppy wined. "G-gomen Akamaru-kun. I forgot that you don't like being called that."

Sakura leaned back from her seat. "Isn't that Kiba's dog? He's one of your teammates, ne? Do you think they are close by?"

"If Akamaru-k-kun ran off, K-Kiba-kun is following. H-he might be with Shino-kun."

"He would be with me, but he didn't want to run here. It should take only a few seconds for him to show up." He took a look around a bit before focusing on Naruto. "I'm guessing that you brought them here."

Naruto narrowed his eyes at Kiba. "What of it dog breath?"

Kiba moved to Naruto's face. His teeth gritted together as he held back his yelling. "I'm not here to fight. I'm here to see Hinata."

"This is not the place for an altercation."

Naruto and Kiba turned to Shino shared an equal response. "Eh?"

Hinata chuckled. "I missed this. An altercation i-is a heated argument."

Naruto and Kiba nodded slowly with their one word. "Oh~~~~."

Shino looked around a bit too, and took notice of the seating arrangements. Sasuke sat to the far right with Sakura sitting to his left. What surprised him was that the Hinata was sitting between Sakura and Naruto. "Intriguing, it is not like Hinata to allow herself to be flanked by two people, one of whom being Naruto-san. She looks very calm. I never thought she could change so much in just over three weeks. Did something happen to you on this mission Hinata? Your self-esteem is astonishingly ameliorated."

Kiba got in Naruto's face and grabbed a fistful of his jacket. "What did you do baka?"

Hinata moved her hands in a placating manner. "W-w-w-wait K-K-Kiba-kun."

"I DIDN'T DO ANY THING TO HINATA-CHAN!"

Shino took quick notice of Naruto's use of the honorific. Sakura decided to walk the short distance and slap both boys in the back of their heads. "Shut up. The last thing I need is a pair of fighting Naruto. Shino just said that Hinata's self-esteem has improved. That is a good thing in case you baka didn't know."

The two looked at Sakura with 'kid in cookie jar' looks. "She's/Sakura-chan's scary."

"May we participate in this repast?"

Even the book-smart Sakura was stumped by Shino's choice in words. That meant that it was up to Hinata. She looked down in slight embarrassment. "A repast is a m-meal or the food that i-is being eaten."

A collective oh~~~ was heard from everyone who didn't know this, excluding Sasuke. Sakura chuckled internally. "I guess that the smaller words escape me."

The ramen vender looked Shino with a smile. "The more the merrier … especially for me-ita."

Ayame let out a sigh. "I swear; do you want~ me to give you brain damage?"

"I'm getting old. You don't have to do anything~ to give me brain damage."

"Just get started on the ramen."

**Back in the Hokage's tower.**

Kurenai Yuhi; during her free time, she liked to read many different types of books. Few people had the kind of knowledge about the world, myths, and legends that she did. Even so, she was stumped. Not only did she learn of such a strange power for the first time in her life, but it turns out that her own student possesses this power. "I need to sit down."

Hiashi looked at Kurenai and repressed a chuckle. "Hiromi had a similar response when she first heard of our daughter reacting, as it is called now. I can only hope that her spirit is watching out for Hinata's safety."

Kurenai let out another sigh. "So, are you saying that you want to change up the team assignments? Aren't you worried about the genin needing to adjust to new teammates and new sensei?"

The Hokage nodded. "That is an issue, but the extent of the synergy between Naruto and Hinata is too great to ignore. Even though the man was immobilized, they were able to take out a jonin level shinobi."

"What about how much danger this puts Hinata in. We know that Naruto is the only one she can react with, but no one else does. She might become a target of those wanting to use her."

Hiashi nodded. "I understand where you are coming from Kurenai-san. That too was a concern of mine, but not now. Hinata is not the three-year-old girl from when she first reacted. She is twelve and capable of defending herself. If I spend time training her personally, she'll prove too difficult to be worth trying to take her."

Kakashi turned his lazy eye to Hiashi. "I'm not too sure about that exact plan Hiashi-sama. During the free time that came after defeating Zabuza, I had all four genin spend time training. More like Naruto wouldn't leave me alone unless I let them train. During this training, I noticed something peculiar about Hinata. For most genin, the rate that they improve is in relation to how they train, for how long, and how much talent they have. Hinata is different. Her self-esteem is the key factor. It turns out that when Naruto is watching her, his tendency to cheer her on boosts her actual skill level and~ how quickly she improves."

Hiashi narrowed his eyes slightly. "Are you suggesting that I allow an outsider to see the training of a Main Branch Hyuga?"

His eye took on the U-shape. "Technically…Hai. I honestly think that it is a great idea. I see those two working together in many missions. It could be very beneficial for teamwork if Naruto has at least decent understanding of Hinata's abilities. I'm not telling you to teach Naruto how to use them, just to let him encourage her. You can't say that her skills won't grow with this because you never tried it. I promise that her improvement will surprise you."

Hiashi nodded again. "Fine, one attempt won't cause any harm. If I see any improvement like you say, then Naruto may find himself becoming familiar with the Hyuga household."

The Hokage smiled. "That solves a few issues. The last one I can see is how they will go about practicing how to control the power they have after reacting. From what Kakashi said, they have a lot of potential if they could defeat the sleeping side effect. Training with this should be able to increase their endurance or efficiency."

Hiashi nodded once more. "I know of a place. To keep the secrets of my clan's jutsu, we have an underground training field that even the Byakugan eyes won't be able to see into. Not only with the two be able to practice, but they will be able to do so without too many people finding out.

Hiruzen nodded again. "Good, lets start with the first step. We should only switch up one member from each team. Before we do that, we need a chance to see who should be changed. The fastest way to do this is to send them all on a mission."

Hiashi locked eyes with the elder man. "What do you have in mind Hokage-sama?"

Hiruzen smiled in response. "This." He pushed forward a fairly thin stack of papers. The first thing they all noticed was the large B.

* * *

**This chapter is a bit shorter than the others. Don't worry about the Chunin Exams. They are still going to attend. I am going with the idea that the time between when they returned from the mission to the exams was around a month. What I have in mind is for the mission to last just a few days. Like any good mission with Naruto in it, there has to be complications. I just have to come up with OC that fit my needs. That may be difficult.**

**Next Chapter: The Clients.  
**


	15. The Clients: Chapter 15

Underlined speech is thought.

Italicized _words_ signify emphasis put on words or a change in tone_._

_Italicized sentences are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is **bolded,** it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is underlined, it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is (underlined), it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. The reverse is true with bolding. If a word is **b**olded at the first letter and underlined at the last, it is when their words are out of sync and Naruto's voice comes first. The reverse is true of thi**s**._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: After just over three weeks on the mission to wave, the team returned to Konoha. Hinata emotions manage to go all over the place during this. Kakashi heads off to the Hokage's office as the others go to Ichiraku. Kakashi talked to Hiruzen about the mission and how to change up the teams. Back at Ichiraku, Shino and Kiba found the group. Shino notices some slight changes in Hinata's personality. Back in the Hokage's office, Hiashi and Kurenai join in. After some more discussion, Hiruzen reveals that he wants to give the genin a B-ranked mission as a test.)

* * *

**June 11, 2009; a week after the previous chapter.**

**Looks like I had to make another title change. That is what happened when chapters aren't prepared ahead of time.**

"**The Clients"**

Kurenai's eyes widened. "Are you telling me that you want to give a group of six genin a B-ranked mission? Don't you think that it will be a bit too much for them?"

Hiruzen closed his eyes with an expression that showed little agreement to her words. "You forget that of those six genin, four have experience what it is like to go on an A-ranked mission. One of the remaining two is an Aburame, whom are known for acting correctly in nearly all situations. To top it off, they will have their jonin instructors with them. Under these conditions, I see this mission being a failure and ending with casualty as impossible."

Kurenai began waving her hands around a bit in argument. "Even so, this has never been done before during times of peace."

Hiruzen nodded. "That may be true, but young genin with less talent than these six have been sent on A-ranked missions as just one squad during war time. I am not being unreasonable."

"Will someone back me up here?" Kurenai looked at Hinata's father.

The man closed his eyes in thought. "My daughter will be one of the first genin in decades to have two missions over C-rank in a row. Because of how she hides her Elemental Gelade, the branch family has been spreading rumors of her being weak through the village. Her lack of confidence only helps in affirming these rumors. Instead of trying to stop this at a near untraceable source, I rather have Hinata attack the rumors directly with an impressive record."

Kurenai turned to her fellow jonin, only to narrow her eyes at the orange book that he was reading. "He won't be any help." She let out a sigh of resignation. "_Fine_, I am outnumbered anyways. I still think that you should give this mission to a group of chunin."

"True, but this works out even better. It is possible for four chunin to take on more D-ranked missions than two teams of genin if the missions are well chosen."

Kurenai's eyelids formed two parallel lines. "Poor chunin~." What about Kakashi's team and Hinata. If they go on this mission, they would have had only a days rest since their last mission."

"That is not a very valid point Kurenai-san. Genin often take on two D-ranked missions a day, which are far more frustrating than many higher ranked missions are. You should know, because you~ had to take them as well. Additionally, the mission lasted three weeks, but all the conflict ended in eight days. It is safe to say that they had more than enough time to rest. Is that all Kurenai-san."

She let out yet another sigh. "Hai Hokage-sama, I have nothing left. When do we meet the clients?"

"I told them that they will be meeting their escorts at The North Gate three hours from now tomorrow. I recommend that you two find your genin so they can get prepared for this mission."

Kakashi suddenly shut his book. "I'm going to Ichiraku. Naruto should still be there eating his last four bowls of ramen." Kakashi disappeared with a swirl of smoke. Kurenai and Hiashi decided to use the door.

**Back at Ichiraku.**

Thanks to the arrival of the rest of Hinata's teammates, every one of the team was still at Ichiraku for their longest stay there ever. They stayed there thanks to the fact that Naruto was telling Shino and Kiba about the C-ranked mission turned A-rank. Sakura narrowed he eyes at Naruto in suspicion. "He is almost finished telling them about the mission, and he hasn't mentioned what Hinata can do with him once. Can it be that Naruto is actually being sensitive about Hinata's feelings? There may be hope for this baka after all."

Sasuke just scowled at the space to his front. "Why's that dobe trying to keep secrets? Even with them being her real teammates, she can't react with them. Oh well, it really isn't my concern. I'm leaving."

Just as he left the stand, he stopped after seeing Kakashi standing there with the usual U-shaped eye. "Hello Sasuke. I'm surprised that you are still here." He walked into the stand and noticed the reason. "I have to be the luckiest jonin in this village. I can just tell them all right now and be done with it. Hello team, we are having a B-ranked mission next."

Naruto instantly sprang from his seat. "ALL RIGHT, A B-RANKED MISSION! OJII-SAN FINALLY RECOGNIZES HOW AWESOME WE ARE!"

Kiba also sprang from his seat. "THAT'S NOT FAIR! WE HAVEN'T BEEN ON ANYTHING BUT D-RANKED MISSIONS ALL THIS TIME!"

Naruto crossed his arms and gave Kiba a demeaning look. "What's wrong Dog-breath? You can't handle being only second best."

Kiba and Akamaru glared and growled at Naruto. "What was that _Blondie_?"

A sweat-drop formed on the back of Kakashi's head. "I probably should defuse this situation. I haven't even told you some details about the mission." This caught everyone's attention. "I am sure that you all remember how we needed another genin to go on a C-ranked mission. For a B-ranked, we decided to add two more genin and~ another jonin."

Naruto and Kiba were equally confused and responded equally. "What is that supposed to mean?" They turned to the other with a fierce glare.

Shino adjusted his sunglasses. "This will be a joint mission with Teams 7 and 8; correct."

"That's right Shino. Our clients will be meeting us at The North Gate in twenty-five hours. Make sure that you aren't late. I will tell Kurenai that I already told you where and when we will meet."

Kiba pumped his fist in the air. "YAHOO~~! I'M GOING ON A B-RANKED MISSION~! I have to go home and prepare.

Shino nodded. "I shall follow my teammate's initiative."

Naruto smiled widely. "I don't know what that mean's, but I'm not letting them get ready before I do." He dashed off to his home at full speed.

Hinata walked off in a daze. "Another mission with Naruto-kun. How can I~ be this lucky? I feel like hoping for more will curse me."

Sasuke walked off with the usual scowl on his face as Sakura followed him. Kakashi smiled under his mask. "It seems that they all took the news well."

He prepared to turn around before someone grabbed the back of his sleeve. He looked back and saw Teuchi and Ayame grinning at him. "Someone still has to pay for their meal."

Kakashi's eyelids flattened. "This must be retribution for leaving my team to pay for all four of us time and time again; or maybe it is for what I just did." After reducing the weight of his wallet, Kakashi went off to do what he usually does during his time off.

**North Gate, Twenty-five and a half hour later.**

Naruto sat on the asphalt ground with his legs and arms crossed, eyebrows twitching in irritation. "WHAT IS WITH THESE JONIN?! DO THEY ALWAYS HAVE TO BE LATE?!"

Shino walked up to Naruto and looked down at him through his glasses, effectively creeping the blond out a bit. "Do not disparage Kurenai-sensei Naruto-san. Her punctuality is impeccable."

Since Naruto was too intimidated by Shino to ask, Kiba did so simply by looking at Hinata. She chuckled at the predicable action. "Shino-kun s-said not to c-criticize Kurenai-sensei because she is n-never late."

Sakura let out a scoff. "I can't say the same about Kakashi-sensei. If he isn't on time, then he makes us wait for two to three hours … and he is rarely~ on time."

Shino turned his attention from Naruto to Sakura. "I understand now."

Hinata turned to Shino. "What i-is it Shino-kun?"

"I understand why the missing parties have yet to arise. Kakashi-sensei intentionally informed us falsely concerning the time of arrival."

Naruto became confused. "Eh, what was that?"

This time, it was the Inuzuka who responded. "Shino said that your~ sensei told us the wrong time on purpose." Sakura looked at Kiba with a lowered jaw and slightly widened eyes. Kiba shrugged. "What~~, Shino already said all those words before."

Hinata let her eyes move from person to person. "Wh-what do we do n-now?"

Shino walked over to a wall and leaned against it. "We wait. We have no way to determine the genuine gathering time, so we must wait."

Naruto suddenly stood up and looked to the sky. "I AM GOING TO KILL KAKASHI-SENSEI ONE DAY!"

After the passing of an hour, the group of six genin saw a caravan pulled by two oxen heading for them. The ones sitting on it were obviously a couple. Once it reached the genin, the man left his seat and walked up to them. "I have never expected such fine service from anywhere. I pay for the protection of four chunin, and I instead get six. Not only that, but you are all very early."

Shino walked up to the man. "I am Shino Aburame. You are gravely misguided. We are all genin. Additionally, our jonin-sensei hasn't arrived."

The man began rubbing his chin. "I see. By my math, two jonin are about the same as three chunin. If I add in six genin, I am actually getting more protection than I paid for. I shall be forever impressed by the quality of Konoha's service." He held out his hand. "My name is Chahoya and my wife there is Kahogo."

"PUPPY~~!" A small girl around three years of age made a beeline for Kiba.

Before Shino could shake Chahoya's hand, his hands clasped together and his eyes became shiny. "And this is my adorable~ daughter Kawayui. Isn't she just the most amazing~ thing you have ever~ set your eyes on." Shino back away when the man's body started undulating.

The young girl ran up to Kiba and looked up at him. "Can I pway width the puppy."

The Inuzuka looked at the partner under his chin. "What do you think Akamaru?" The puppy yipped twice before jumping out of the coat.

As soon as Akamaru hit the ground, Kawayui started chasing him. "YIPPEE~~!"

The mother climbed out of the cart and walked up to Kiba. "Is that okay. I know that young children can be a bit rough."

Kiba waved his hands dismissively. "Don't worry about that. Akamaru is a lot stronger than most puppies. Even if he let her catch him, she won't be able to hurt him."

"Well that's good to hear." The laughing and giggling girl suddenly tripped, prompting the mother to run straight for her. "KAWAYUI-CHAN~, ARE YOU OKAY~~?!" As soon as the girl stood, the mother pulled out a wipe and began cleaning her off. "Are you sure you aren't hurt any?"

The girl started giggling uncontrollably. "I'm okay Kaa-san."

The father ran over as well. "Are you sure you're okay. Certainly a little trip would make you feel better." Before the girl could say anything, she was picked up and spun around. Her giggling became louder.

Kiba smiled at this. Sakura rolled her eyes and smiled a little. Shino looked on with his usual lack of expression. Sasuke glared fiercely at the family. Naruto clenched his fist tightly as he fought back some tears that tried to come out. Hinata was unable to do so as a tear escaped her right eye. She quickly wiped the tear away.

As soon as the father was done swinging his daughter around, Shino walked over to him. "Chahoya-san, will you answer my queries? We have little intelligence on the mission parameters."

Chahoya became a bit more serious. "I see. That is understandable. Normally I would ask for the guard of two chunin, but I received a note telling me to leave my cart in the middle of the path right at the border between The Land of Fire and The Land of Grass. The problem is that I have to pass through there to get to The Land of Earth, and there is no way I can leave my cart alone to be ravaged."

"Then it is safe to presume a high probability of conflict."

The man smiled confidently. "I think that it is a bluff. Once they see that I have eight Shinobi with me, they will most likely back off. Even the most foolish bandits wouldn't want to deal with that many, no mater how young most of them look."

"Does it not seem peculiar that they know your destination?"

"No, I talk to a number of random people about where I am going. By time we leave a village, at least a hundred people know where I am going." He began laughing confidently.

Shino pushed his glasses up. "I see, arigato Chahoya-san." As he walked back, the light caught his glasses in a particular way. "This mission will become complicated. The most disquieting aspect of this mission is the confidence of the prospective assailants. If the are indeed aware of the destination of this family, then they know that they will pass through Konoha. I can only surmise that they desire conflict." He looked on at the rather happy atmosphere created by the young girl. "I will inform Kurenai-sensei first."

Kawayui walked up to Hinata and looked up at her with innocent eyes. "You're pwetty, what's you're name Nee-san?"

Hinata blushed at the sudden compliment. "I-I'm Hi-Hinata."

"Yippee~ Hihinata-nee-chan. I'm Ka, Kawa." She spread out her hands exuberantly. "I'M KAWAII!"

Hinata chuckled for two seconds into her hand. "Hai…you certainly are."

Naruto appeared at Hinata's left and poked his chest. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki."

The girl looked up at him with the same innocent eyes. "You look stwange."

Naruto spread his hands out and hooked them while grinning widely. "I am going to get you for that." The girl squealed and began running away. "You can't run from me~." Naruto laughed darkly and gave chase, running at the same speed as the girl.

Hinata watched Naruto play with Kawayui with a smile on her lips. In her eyes, it was the cutest thing she has ever seen. "Naruto-kun is really great with children." She chuckled when the girl looked back at him, prompting Naruto to fall down and start rolling on the ground just to get her to laugh.

Sakura palmed her forehead and grimaced. "Why does Naruto have to be so~ embarrassing~."

After some time, Kurenai appeared. Shino started walking up to her as soon as he saw her. "Hello Shino. It is surprising that you are all already here. I didn't expect Kakashi's team to be well trained in being punctual."

Shino adjusted his glasses in a way that Kurenai recognized as a show of frustration. "I must enlighten you concerning that matter."

Sakura, Kiba, Hinata, and Naruto all watched as Shino talked to Kurenai. Sakura leaned to Kiba. "What do you think Shino is telling Kurenai-sensei?"

"NANI~~~! THAT MAN TOLD ALL SIX OF YOU TO SHOW UP TWO HOURS EARLY… AND HE HAS THE GALL~ TO BE EVEN A _SECOND_ LATE!"

Hinata's and Kiba's eyes widened and their jaws dropped. Because Hinata was speechless, Kiba spoke for the both of them. "Akamaru accidentally peed on her once, and I have _never~_ seen Kurenai-sensei this pissed before." Hinata nodded and Naruto laughed as Sakura smacked Kiba on the back of his head. "Hey~~, I know that it was a bad pun, but it wasn't something worth hitting me over."

Sakura glared at him. "It was revolting." She turned to Naruto. "Stop laughing or you're next." This managed to shut up Naruto's snickering

When Kurenai decided to sit down after Shino told her his concerns, the oppressive aura that surrounded her was enough to scare anyone except for her own team from getting anywhere close to her. With a swirl of smoke thirty minutes later, all that anger focused into that one spot. Kakashi automatically stopped in the middle of his greeting. "Perhaps I shouldn't say anything and risk going under horrifying genjutsu based torture. I am sure that Kurenai can get very creative."

Kurenai stood up and turned to the family with an authoritative aura around her. "Now that the last one is here, let's get started on the mission. I'll just have to be on extra guard than usual. I have six genin to think about. If I turn back now, it will count on my team as a mission we failed. That isn't something we can afford."

* * *

**This chapter is one of the shorter ones, but I have nothing more left to add.**

**Next chapter: Not a Weapon.**


	16. Not a Weapon: Chapter 16

Underlined speech is thought.

Italicized _words_ signify emphasis put on words or a change in tone_._

_Italicized sentences are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is **bolded,** it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is underlined, it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is (underlined), it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. The reverse is true with bolding. If a word is **b**olded at the first letter and underlined at the last, it is when their words are out of sync and Naruto's voice comes first. The reverse is true of thi**s**._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: Kurenai tries to argue against the mission, but that only ends with multiple dead ends. After her acceptance, Kakashi finds all six of the genin and tells them the meeting place. After arriving two hours early, thirty minutes pass before frustration reveals that they were actually early. The clients appear and their daughter manages to start playing with Akamaru. After her fall and the fuss that came after, Shino talked to the father about the mission; raising some personal concerns in his mind. After some more playing, Kurenai appears only to be angered by the information Shino gives her. Because of this, Kakashi finds himself with a hostile welcome. With his arrival, the mission begins.)

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**June 18, 2009; one week after the previous release.**

**I'm sorry, but I didn't take the time to proofread the whole chapter. The mistakes still shouldn't be as bad as other stories.**

"**Not a Weapon."**

On the night after the mission's start, Kurenai made sure to tell the suspicions that Shino developed to Kakashi when she was sure no one was around to notice. As a response, he turned his eyes away from his book and focused on her. "I see. Looks like there is more to worry about concerning this mission than what is on the surface. I guess the fact that our clients are obviously rich isn't the only reason this mission is B-ranked."

Kurenai glared at him. "I can't believe that you still aren't worried about this mission. Don't you think that there is a possibility that our genin can get hurt?"

Kakashi narrowed his eye seriously. "You are only worried because you are inexperience." Her eyes widened in disbelief. "You have not seen what these genin can do under the right conditions. If you do, then you will learn to be more confident in them."

Kurenai placed her fingertips over her heart. "What are you saying~? I have~ faith in my students. I just think that this mission may be too much for them."

"I thought the same thing as you when I discovered the complications in the previous mission, but I left the decision up to the genin. I will never regret that decision because it let me see what those four genin were truly capable of. Though I have to be honest; … I have little doubt that the mission would have ended in failure if it wasn't for Hinata being on the mission with us. We owe a lot to the powers she possesses."

Kurenai crossed her arms. "You are placing too much faith on them reacting. It may be true that it was able to send a jonin flying, but he was immobilized."

Kakashi narrowed his eye. "True, but that was three weeks ago. I believe that the power that they can generate is affected by the emotional bonds between them. The power difference between the first times I saw them react to the second time was like a fresh genin to a fresh chunin. Can you imagine what three weeks of training with each other or training in the other's presence will do to their power? I have also seen Naruto training his body to a near breaking point secretly and daily. Comparing them to before would be unfair."

Kurenai let out a sigh. "Fine then. All we can do right now is make sure that we are on full guard. This includes telling our genin about this."

Kakashi started looking at his book again. "I rather see what they do under surprises. It is better for them to get use to surprises now than later. This way, they have their jonin with them to counter that moment of hesitation."

Kurenai's eyes widened in surprise. She then clenched her fist before taking a deep breath. "I hate to admit it, but he has a point. Telling them about a potential surprise during a mission won't teach them how to expect surprises. Fine…it seems that I can never win here. I'll admit that your extra experience as a jonin has given you a bit more insight than me." A frightening aura suddenly surrounded her as she glared at Kakashi through the shadows over her eyes. "If this winds up hurting any of the genin, you _won't_ know what happened. I'll make sure of it."

Kakashi's eye followed Kurenai as she walked off. "Considering she is a genjutsu specialist, she may be able to do it. If we weren't on a mission, she would have done it by now."

He walked back to the cart and found everyone ready to go after eating their lunch. Kiba looked over to him and started waving. "HEY KAKASHI-SENSEI…YOU'RE LATE!"

His eye took on that U-shape. "I just wanted to take in the forest scenery. I am now hoping that Naruto gets switch with Kiba. Perhaps I can come up with some reasons to have him. I'm sure I'll be able to get reactions as big as Naruto with him." Kakashi chuckled under his breath as he made his way to the cart.

After just an hour, they reached a part of the path with a cliff overlooking it on the right side. As five of the genin looked up there for only a few moments, Shino, Kurenai, and Kakashi discreetly focused their attention at the cliff top. All of them saw a face poke out enough to see them for a second before disappearing. Kurenai narrowed her eyes. "That's strange. We were supposed to meet with the potential assailants at the border. We shouldn't get there until sometime around noon tomorrow." Shino had similar thoughts.

Kakashi turned his full attention back to his book. "That man was a bandit. Because the place isn't right, this is probably an isolated incident or something planed to weaken us before the real event does~ happen. He looked stupid, so I expect an attack as soon as we pass this cliff."

As the large group passed the edge of the cliff, what Kakashi expected to happen did. The large group all froze in their steps as they faced down a group of around seventy-five bandits. Sakura gasped at the numbers. "This is even more than on the bridge."

Kakashi looked up lazily. "I wonder how they can manage to maintain this many members. They must have quite the leader. The most probable truth is that they are from different bandit groups hired by the ones who truly plan to attack us. They chose here for the attack because it is the best place between Konoha and the border."

Hinata looked on at the large group as she debated with herself. "Here's my chance. For those three weeks, I have been worried about showing my teammates what I can do with Naruto-kun. I decided that I can't keep the secret from them." Because she was placed on the left guard with Naruto, she didn't have to go anywhere to get to him. "N-Naruto-kun, let's r-react." Naruto's eyes widened a bit as she took his hand.

_On a helpless but pretty night__  
Soothing and comforting  
And prospering on the _

Hinata's eyes widened when Naruto pulled his hand away from her. He smiled with her to his back. "I don't need to react with you to handle all these~ idiots Hinata-chan."

"Naruto-kun doesn't need me." Her eyes quivered as tears tried to force themselves out of her ducts.

During her moment of shock, Hinata missed Naruto charging forward and forming his favorite seal. "MULTI SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" Everyone who was not used to seeing it was instantly surprised by the number of Naruto changing from one to two-hundred. "ARE YOU SURE THAT YOU WANT TO TAKE ON ALL~ OF US?!"

Kakashi walked up to Shino. "Perhaps a dark cloud will help add an ominous feeling along with the feeling with being outnumbered." Shino nodded and held out his arms. Countless tiny black specks flew out and formed a cloud over the Naruto clones. Kakashi then went over to Kurenai. "Let's top this off with a large scaled genjutsu. Let's make sure that we don't even have to fight them."

Kurenai actually smiled at something Kakashi said. "He may be annoying, but his experience is for real." She raced through hand-seals and built up her chakra. "Demonic Art: Demon's Visage." In a matter of seconds, all seventy-five plus of the bandits ran off.

Kiba smiled widely and pumped his fist. "YAHOO~~, LOOK AT THEM RUN WITH THEIR TAILS BETWEEN THEIR LEGS!"

Kakashi turned to Kurenai. "What did you do?"

Kurenai smirked. "I changed the appearance of all those clones. Instead of two-hundred little blond brats, they saw two-hundred terrifying demons. It may not work well against shinobi, but it works wonders on bandits. What surprises me is how Naruto was able to create so many shadow clones."

Kakashi chuckled. "That is something that Hinata helped him with. It turns out that ever time that he molds chakra, large amounts of it escape from all his chakra points. This is the main reason that he kept running out of chakra as quickly as Sasuke, even though he has so~ much. After Hinata explained it to him, he started working on keeping that chakra."

"That's great. Hinata has really changed over that mission. The Hinata I knew wouldn't have been able to say something like that to Naruto."

"I see." Kakashi turned his eye towards Hinata. He could easily tell that she was a bit distraught. "This must be because Naruto canceled their reaction. Now that I think about it, the last time they actually reacted was back on the bridge. Kurenai, you should talk to Hinata tonight. She seems to be a bit shaken up."

She looked at her student and found Kakashi's words to be true. "How can that be? We didn't even have to fight."

Kakashi leaned into Kurenai's ear. "Hinata tried to react with Naruto when those men showed up. Naruto decided to cancel it though. I'll talk to Naruto, and you can talk to Hinata. Hopefully, this won't become an incident."

Kurenai narrowed her eyes in understanding. "So that~ was what that chanting was for."

That night, Shino decided to walk up to Naruto. "Naruto-san, I noticed you reciting some form of chant with Hinata. What was that?"

Naruto started to take on a trapped look. "Oh, that. That is just something we can do. I don't need it anymore though."

Kurenai and Kakashi both turned to Hinata. Her eyes were wide and quivering violently. "Naruto-kun doesn't need me anymore. Does that mean that we won't react ever again?" As tears made their way out of her ducts, she ran into the trees to hide them. "This is awful."

The jonin faced each other and nodded. Kurenai stood up. "I'll go and check out what's wrong with her. Don't worry."

Moments after that, Kakashi focused his eye on Naruto. "Naruto, I think that we should go and talk privately. I have a question I have to ask you."

"Eh, okay." Naruto followed Kakashi out of the forest in the opposite direction that Kurenai and Hinata went.

After a few seconds, Sakura and Kiba simultaneously asked the question that was on everybody's mind. "What just happened?"

**With Kurenai and Hinata.**

Kurenai found the Hyuga sitting on a rock, crying her eyes out. She placed a hand on her student's should, causing the girl to looked back and gasp. "K-K-Kurenai-s-sensei."

Kurenai's eyes widened a bit. "Her newfound confidence is shot. Are you okay Hinata?"

She sniffled and wiped her eyes. "H-Hai."

Kurenai's eyes hardened. "Don't give me that. It is painfully obvious that something is bothering you; and I know what that is. You're concerned because Naruto-san doesn't want to react with you."

Hinata gasped in surprise. "H…how do y-you kn-know about th-that?"

"I was told about it before this mission began. Now… why don't you tell me what is bothering you about this. Even with~ your obvious feelings for the blond, it has to be more than that for it to be affecting you this much. Certainly you realize that just because he doesn't want to react with you, doesn't mean that you have no chance with him."

Hinata blushed heavily in the middle of Kurenai's words, but calmed down near the end. "It's not." She suddenly calmed down a great amount. "It's not th-that. When I re-react with N-Naruto-kun, th-this unbelievable f-feeling fills me. I-I can't explain it. I-It's like b-being excited a-and…peaceful at th-the same t-time. M-my heart b-beats like c-crazy…yet I-I feel m-more comfortable th-than I ever had a-anywhere else." Her expression became very solemn. "I don't w-want to ever lose th-that feeling."

As she listened to Hinata's speech, Kurenai's eyes widened. "This was a very mature speech. It was almost like she was describing what it feels like to be in love. If so, I can understand why she doesn't want it to stop. This is important to her." The jonin stood up, patted Hinata on the back, and gave her a motherly smile. "Come on Hinata … let's go back to the camp."

**With Naruto and Kakashi.**

Kakashi faced Naruto down with his normal lazy gaze. "I have noticed that you don't want to react with Hinata. Is there any reason for that?"

Naruto smiled widely. "That's easy. Back on the bridge, I yelled at Zabuza about how I don't want to make anyone into a tool." He then turned serious. "If I react with Hinata-chan, that is all she will become. How can I do that to her?"

"I see. Normally, I would leave Naruto to figure this out on his own. I can't do that this time around. There is no telling how negatively Naruto's clueless tendencies will affect Hinata. Let's try a different angle first though. So you are just holding true to your words. Do you in any way, enjoy reacting with Hinata?"

Naruto glared at Kakashi. "Are you telling me to use Hinata and tire her out just so I can feel stronger?"

"That isn't what I meant Naruto. It's obvious that you would feel more powerful with her. That is only natural. What I am asking you is if you feel any other feelings with her."

"I." Naruto looked down with a serous and solemn expression. "There is one other thing. When we first reacted on that mission, I started feeling very different. As soon as I woke up, it started to change back. It took me a while, but I figured out what it was."

"And what would that be?"

"I figured out that the difference was in the demon inside me."

Kakashi's eye widened. "Is this something I should be worried about? Is the Kyūbi affecting Hinata somehow?"

"No, she affects it." As Kakashi froze in surprise, Naruto continued. "I can feel the Kyūbi's chakra inside me every day. With that chakra, I can feel how angry and vicious the Kyūbi is. I never noticed it before, because I could always feel it. I only noticed now because whenever I react with Hinata-chan, it's gone. All of the demon's chakra is wiped away."

The widening of Kakashi's eye could no longer express his surprise. "Is it possible that when she reacts with Naruto, Hinata acts as reinforcement for the seal?"

"When all of that chakra isn't flowing through me, I feel safe; safer than I have ever felt before in my life. The only time it stops is during our reactions. I feel less of it when Hinata-chan is closer, but it's still there. I have been training really hard lately so I don't have to use Hinata-chan to feel safe any more. I don't want to burden her with protecting me from the demon."

Kakashi for once, could not believe what he was hearing. Outside of Naruto's view, his hands were trembling a bit. "This only times that my hands have shaken like this were times when someone important to me has died, with Obito at the top of that list. When Naruto actually decides to talk to you seriously like this, it really hits you." Kakashi stood up and turned to the camp. "I need to hear what Kurenai learned from Hinata before deciding to do anything else. Come on Naruto, let's go back."

The firsts to return to the camp were Kurenai and Hinata. As soon as they showed up, Kawayui ran up to Hinata with her arms out. "HINATA-NEE-TAN!"

She looked down, catching full sight of the young girl's big brown eyes. "Wh-what is it Kawayui-chan?"

"Can you bwaid my hair for me."

Hinata looked and noticed that her dark blond hair was already in a braid that wrapped around her head. "Y-your hair is a-already braided."

The father walked to a foot behind his daughter. "But I just braided your hair myself."

She stuck her tongue out at him in a cute way. "I want Nee-tan to do it." The man fell to his side as cascading tears made their way to the ground.

With the passing of a minute, Naruto and Kakashi returned and Hinata was in the middle of working on Kawayui's hair. Sakura frowned at the two girls smaller than herself. "What's wrong with _me_? Hinata isn't the only one that can braid her hair. What's she got that I don't?"

Hours later, when everyone was asleep, the two jonin decided to speak privately. It took them a few minutes to tell the other what they heard from their student. After hearing everything about Naruto, Kurenai looked down solemnly. "All this time, I have been trying to think of a way to keep the change from happening. If I do that after hearing what they had to say, I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

Kakashi leaned against a tree, facing the camp. "I get what you are saying. Not only do they have a staggering amount of emotional dependency for each other, they are also very beneficial to each other. Just telling the Hokage about Hinata's automatic ability to contain the Kyūbi's chakra is enough to bind them for good."

Kurenai nodded. "I guess that the only thing left to do is figure out which genin we should switch up."

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**Here is yet another chapter. Most of it seems kind of boring and it didn't match the title yet, so I added in that that segment. I have to say that it is the best part. The next chapter will defiantly introduce the mission villains.**

**I don't have an idea of what the next chapter will be called.**


	17. First Encounter: Chapter 17

Underlined speech is thought.

Italicized _words_ signify emphasis put on words or a change in tone_._

_Italicized sentences are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is **bolded,** it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is underlined, it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is (underlined), it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. The reverse is true with bolding. If a word is **b**olded at the first letter and underlined at the last, it is when their words are out of sync and Naruto's voice comes first. The reverse is true of thi**s**._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING AND HIGH EMOTION.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: Kakashi and Kurenai start arguing right off the bat. Step for step, Kakashi manages to win. They soon encountered a group of bandits, which Hinata wanted to react for. They used a different method of getting rid of them though. After this, the sensei to each of the reacting pair had a talk about it. They find that each of the pair feels a form of dependence upon the other. Kurenai finally decided to accept the idea of team swapping after this mission.)

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**9-27-09**

**Just like my other story, it really has been a while since I last updated this story. I apologize for leaving you all hanging after such a serious chapter.**

"**First Encounter"**

Hinata walked along the right side of the cart while deep in thought. "I really wanted to try talking to Naruto-kun about yesterday, but I am not even next to him." She gave a small glance to the lazy jonin next to her. "I doubt I would have been able to ask Naruto-kun about it anyways. I can't even work up the courage to try asking Kakashi-sensei if he knows anything."

"Nee-tan~!" The young daughter of their employers ran up to Hinata without any sort of warning. Because she was so trapped inside of her solemn thoughts, Hinata only noticed Kawayui when the young girl wrapped her arms around Hinata's leg. Hinata was caught by those big eyes at full blast. "You okway Nee-tan?"

"H-Hai~. What i-is it K-Kawayui-chan?"

The girl looked like she was contemplating on the truth of Hinata's words, but quickly switched to a carefree smile. "You want to pway with me and my dollies."

Hinata hesitated because she was supposed to be on guard at the moment. She found herself looking at Kakashi upon reflex. The eye-smile he was giving her clearly said that it was okay with him. It was almost telling her to go. Hinata turned her eyes back to the girl. "I-I g-guess it wouldn't h-hurt."

"Yay~~!" She ran in a serpentine pattern with her arms out as far as possible. When she reached the cart, she scrambled up its sides.

Kakashi couldn't help but move his attention to Kawayui. "I have to admit. That girl really lives up to her name. Everything she does is adorable."

Hinata followed after the girl and giggled at her cuteness. Hinata only needed one step to climb up the back of the cart. Just as she took a seat next to where the girl's toys were, Kawayui leaned over the left side where Kurenai and Naruto were. "Wanna play dollies with us Nii-tan."

Hinata blushed as Naruto debated with the idea. On one side, he thought it was girly to be playing with dolls. On the other side, he thought of it as his only chance to get an idea of what it would be like having a little sister. The part based off of his past won out as he jumped up to where the two girls were. He began rubbing the back of his head in a show of nervousness. "So~~, how do we do this?"

The three year old pouted at Naruto's words. "Nii-tan don't know how to pway width dollies."

"I never had any toys when I was younger."

Kawayui looked like she was struck by lightning. "N-never." Beads of tears and mucus trickled out. "THAT'S NO FAIR! EBREONE SHOULD HAVE TOYS!" Naruto and Hinata were taken aback by all the emotion the little girl was giving off. "YOU CAN HAVE AS MANY TOYS AS YOU WANT NII-TAN!" She looked down and started wiping her right eye. "It's okway. I have pwenty."

Naruto quickly felt himself getting caught in a new kind of 'guilt over something that wasn't his fault.' "What do I do? There's no way I can say no to her. But if I say yes, what will I do with her toys." His expression changed to match how his thoughts clicked into place. "I have an idea. I am a shinobi now, so I won't have much time for toys when I get back to my village. Let's play long enough to make up for all that time I didn't have toys."

The three-year-old girl sniffed a few last times and wiped away her tears. "I-If you say so Nii-tan." She smiled at him, which looked a bit forced from the evidence of crying she had.

In the front of the cart, Kawayui's parents looked at how this played along. Kahogo smiled softly. "I think that those two have been good for our daughter. It is amazing how Kawayui-chan has bonded to those two. It's like they are actually siblings."

"I agree Hogo-chan. This is just the experience she needs to become a good big sister."

She leaned up to him and started whispering. "My my Hoya-kun. What~ would you be implying with that?"

Hinata smiled as she watch the girl go and try to find some toys. "Naruto-kun's amazing. I would have never thought that up as quickly as he did. He can be very considerate when he wants too." Her eyes widened in surprise. "Why then? Why would Naruto-kun reject me like yesterday? Certainly he wasn't trying to say that he doesn't need me. Now that I think about it, it has been a while since we last reacted. That was back on the bridge, when we were fighting against Zabuza-san and Haku-san." Her eyes widened further and her hands trembled slightly. "That's it. The last thing I remember him telling Haku-san is that he is not a tool, but a person. When we react, that's exactly what I start looking like. Naruto-kun doesn't think I am useless. He just doesn't want me to be a weapon." Her body calmed down as the evidence of her surprise faded. "Still, I want to be able to react with him." She clenched her fists in an unnoticeable show of resolve. "I have no choice. If I want to start reacting with Naruto-kun again, I have to prove that I can be equally useful no matter what form I am in. I won't just be his weapon. I will be his partner, Hinata Hyuga."

Naruto leaned towards Hinata with a curious expression. "What are you thinking about Hinata-chan?"

Caught completely by surprise, Hinata fell back and had to stop her fall with her hands. Her face started to get really red real quickly. "I-i-i-i-it's n-n-nothing."

Naruto looked at her in confusion. "Her face is red again." Naruto began to move his hand to her forehead.

A smaller hand connected with her forehead. "You okway Nee-tan? You're rwed."

Hinata chucked as her blushing faded. "I'm fine Kawayui-chan." She pushed herself back up to a sitting position. "I'm getting ahead of myself. It isn't like me to suddenly decide things like that. Naruto-kun and I would have to be on the same team first."

The three-year-old suddenly held out a doll to Naruto and Hinata. Naruto was given a male and Hinata was given a female. Both Kakashi and Kurenai watched this with curiosity. "Hinata-chan suddenly has a different feeling around her. Could it be that she has found some kind of confidence."

Kakashi closed his book as his attention focused upon the two special genin. "This is turning out better than I expected. By the look of things, Hinata seems to have already figured it out. Since Kurenai and I decided to tell what we heard from our genin to the other one, my job's already finished. I don't have to do a thing."

Kawayui smiled at her new playmates and pointed at the dolls. "He is Otou-kun and she is Ojou-tan." Naruto developed a sweat drop from the unimaginative name as Hinata chuckled silently. "They're marwied like Tou-san and Kaa-san, so they wike twings wike kwissing."

Kakashi closed his book again and looked over to the young girl, who was now wearing a contemplative expression. "This should prove more entertaining than a book I have already read countless times before."

That expression changed to curiosity and became completely focused upon Naruto and Hinata. She then smiled widely. "Do Nii-tan and Nee-tan kwiss eatch othwer?"

Both of their jaws dropped as far as naturally possible. Thanks to how everyone was positioned, Sakura and Sasuke were the only ones who didn't hear that. The instant they glanced at each other, their faces quickly reddened. Naruto was a Coral Pink while Hinata was the slightly darker Coral Red.

Kiba started chuckling. "This mission is great. Hearing that was a once in lifetime chance."

"You should refrain from deriving amusement from our teammate's distress."

"Come on~. I'm going to hold this over her head until she goes out with the blond baka."

Kurenai laughed nervously. "This is an unexpected turn of events."

After a few seconds of heavy breathing, Hinata finally collapsed from embarrassment. This did not help Naruto's already frantic mentality. "HINATA-CHAN, WHAT'S WRONG?!"

Unable to contain himself, Kiba responded. "WHY DON'T YOU TRY MOUTH TO MOUTH?!"

"YOU'RE NOT HELPING DOG-BREATH!"

Guarding the rear, Sakura and Sasuke were in a great position to see everything, but were just far enough to be unable to hear anything outside of yelling. Sakura stared at this the way one would at a wreck. "You have any clue what is happening there Sasuke-kun." He merely huffed in a show of indifference. Sakura giggled at this. "Sasuke-kun's so~ cool~. If he doesn't care, then why should I?"

Kahogo started to chuckle continuously. "These Konoha shinobi are quite lively."

Chahoya chuckled along with her. "I agree. We should come by there more often. I am sure our daughter would enjoy that."

Kakashi's eye took on the U-shape. "I love being right."

"COME ON NARUTO. I'M SURE YOU WILL ENJOY IT MORE THAN YOUR FIRST!"

"THAT DOESN'T COUNT! ANYWAYS, I WON'T TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HER LIKE THAT!"

"DOES THAT MEAN YOU WANT TO?!" Naruto's sudden silence was music to Kiba's ears. "Hinata totally owes me for this one."

"And if it backfires."

"You are _such_ a downer Shino."

Kurenai's widened eyes watched all these scenes taking place. "This is going almost too perfectly. This is a bit more sudden that I would have liked, but it could still get the job done. This honestly won't do much if any harm to Hinata's current confidence. The real effect is how it has got Naruto to thinking. From this point on, it will become harder and harder for him to force himself to keep Hinata at bay. I know just how to whittle him down by the end of this mission. I'll have to do something about Kiba too. Even though he is helping us towards our final goal, he is going a bit too far."

After all these minor events and thoughts, Hinata's eyes finally started to open. Her vision was immediately met with a pair of big eyes. "You okway Nee-tan?"

"H-hai." She sat up completely and rubbed the back of her head. "I can't believe that I just did that. How~ embarrassing." She looked over to Naruto and found him to be deep in thought. She tried to speak to him, but her voice was caught deep in her throat.

Seeing that Hinata was awake, Kawayui went up to Naruto's face. "You okway Nii-tan?" Naruto fell back from surprise and caught his fall with his palms.

When he looked around, he saw Hinata trying not to look directly at him. He repeated this action and laughed nervously. "So~~, are~ you okay Hinata-chan?"

"H-hai~."

Kawayui walked up to the front. "Tou-san, Kaa-san; Nee-tan and Nii-tan are acting swange."

Kahogo chuckled and put her lips to her daughter's ears. "They were just a bit surprised by your question. I am sure that they aren't together like that for right now. You should avoid asking those two questions like that sweetie. It obviously makes them uncomfortable."

The girl blinked a few times before smiling innocently. "Hai Kaa-san."

Kakashi chuckled as he went back to his book. His eyes suddenly widened. He turned to the cart, but was stopped by a wall of flames that sprang up just in time to do so. "I can't believe I let my guard down." Not even a fraction of a second passed before the cart was completely surrounded by walls of flames.

Before the ones that were still on the cart could think of anything to do, they felt a slight but sudden change in their height and incline. The ones blocked off by flames saw the ground below the other side of the flames opened up and swallowed everything; cart, oxen, and all. What really happened was that their incline changed so suddenly, they slid right into a large underground cavern in a matter of seconds. The oxen for their part managed to slow the fall just in time and in the right way to avoid any harm to the cart or themselves. This stroke of luck went unnoticed by the people on board. They did notice how the cavern was a perfect cylinder and how the sides were lit with flames. Hinata's eyes were wide in surprised. "What just happened?" She paid little attention to how she and Naruto were latched together to form a human barrier around Kawayui.

The young girl trembled like a leaf in a storm. Beads of tears fell one by one from the child's eyes. "Nii-tan, Nee-tan, I'm scared~."

Hinata saw this and reflexively pulled Kawayui closer. "Don't worry. We won't let you get hurt."

Naruto backed off a bit and got a good look at this scene. Hinata seemed to create an shell around the defenseless child. "Hinata-chan~." His eyes narrowed seriously as he looked to the front. Illuminated by the flames, he saw a woman there. "DID YOU DO THIS?"

Hearing his words, Hinata looked up to the same woman. The expression on her face surprised and scared Hinata a bit. It was a look of pure scorn. It was the same type of look that many people within her own clan gave her. The main difference was that these eyes weren't focused upon only her.

Although Hinata paid no attention to her full appearance, Naruto did. The only reason he knew she was a woman was the slightly exaggerated chest. It still only had to be just a few sizes smaller for her to look like a man completely. Her hair was short, shaggy, and unkempt. The clothes she wore consisted of a simple shirt, masculine jacket, and jeans. The last identifying future she has was the strange sword she held in her left hand. Although it was in the shape of a sword, there was no evidence of a sharp blade. It looked like a craggy spear sticking out of an equally craggy brown hilt and grip.

The woman snorted with a fairly deep voice. "Worthless. I knew that the escorts would be trash, but this is a new low. You two don't even look like you are worth killing. Still, it is my job to destroy you. Stand still so you don't waist my time." Naruto faced this woman down after dashing in front of the oxen with a kunai at the ready. "I hate when dead men try to buy time."

"SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" Nine additional Naruto's appeared at the original's sides. "WE WON'T LET YOU HURT THEM!" All of the clones charged for the woman. Five were destroyed by her trusts. The four clones that got through attacked. She slipped to the side, allowing her to thrust at two more. She grabbed another by the face and slammed him into her knee. This gave her a perfect position to send her weapon through the last's heart. It was over in less than a second.

Hinata watched this with terror in her eyes. "There's no way Naruto-kun can beat her alone." Hinata picked Kawayui up and put her in a secluded corner. She followed this action by producing a warm smile. "Stay here Kawayui-chan. I have to go help Naruto-kun."

In the three-year-old child's sight, looking at Hinata's eyes produced an image of her own mother. "Hai~."

As soon as Hinata stood, she leapt towards Naruto, who was heading for the woman. Her eyes widened. "NO! You can't beat her alone."

"Shadow Clone Jutsu." Another Naruto appeared, taking the thrust head on. Using the cover, Naruto leapt over her head. She swayed out of the way of Naruto's kunai and prepared to strike him with her hilt. She stopped just in time to sway away from a palm strike; the user of which made Naruto's eyes widen. "Hinata-chan." Just before she received a punch from the sword wielder, Naruto tossed his kunai at the woman's hands. She caught the weapon and sent the point to Hinata's neck. Still, Hinata's reflexes were given enough time to dodge and launch a counter attack.

Knowing that the blond was coming right after this, the woman created some distance. "The two of you are wasting more of my time then I anticipated."

Hinata clenched her teeth. "We can't do anything like this. _That_ is our only option. It worked then, it should work now. Naruto-kun!" Naruto focused on her serious expression. "Hold her off for fifteen seconds with your clones."

The woman charged Hinata, ready to run her through. "MULTI SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" She stopped from the expanding copies that surrounded her completely. "GET HER~!"

The woman was forced to defend herself from the large group. "I have to prepare for her plan."

_Upon an orderly ((plea)), with the lure of a (song).  
A sacred song whispering to the (new) (star).  
An illusionary light was here replaced._

Like the time on the bridge, Hinata's body started to light up. That woman just happened to be focused on Hinata, waiting for whatever she had to avoid. She did not expect a big expanding orb of light the way Naruto did. When the light faded, the woman was reveled covering her eyes with her free arm, stumbling around, and screaming out. "HOW DARE YOU WORTHLESS BRATS DO THIS TO ME?! NEXT TIME I SEE YOU, YOU ARE DEAD~!"

Hinata smiled. "Now's my chance. I only need one good hit to take her out." The Hyuga charged forward with her palm at the ready.

Naruto watched this with a wide smile on his face. "Amazing. I didn't know Hinata-chan could fight like this." He then noticed a frightening sight as the woman faced him. That sight was the grin and how she gripped her sword tightly. "NO, STOP!" His warning was half a second late as the woman broke her ruse and swung her sword at Hinata. The craggy weapon's surface slammed into Hinata's left side. The girl's eyes shot out and her mouth opened in surprise. Naruto noticed that wisps of slightly visible chakra flow out of Hinata and into the sword.

The blow sent her to the cavern's side, just under the flames. "You think that I didn't notice how you kept getting brighter. HOW STUPID DO YOU THINK I AM?!" She charged forward with the point aimed straight for Hinata's heart. "NOW DIE!"

* * *

**Now after all that time I took from this story, and I give you a cliffhanger like this one. It really shows how a calm situation could change fast. I have one other thing to type.**

**Right now, I have two major ideas for a story to write for when this one is finished; or the other one. One I consider a crossover while the other draws in elements from another story. I consider the crossover one a crossover because it will permanently introduce a character from the other anime. The other one may be using names from the partner anime, but not the actual characters. The crossover will be with Katekyo Hitman Reborn with Rukudo Mukuro. The other will have elements from Change 123, with Hinata as the target of course. I would like to know what others think of this.**

**Next Chapter: The Genso Clan.**


	18. The Genso Clan: Chapter 18

Underlined speech is thought.

Italicized _words_ signify emphasis put on words or a change in tone_._

_Italicized sentences are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is **bolded,** it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is underlined, it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is (underlined), it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. Songs will not use quotation marks like normal speech. If there are quotation marks, then it is the transformed Hinata speaking. Know that only Naruto can hear her._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING OR HIGH EMOTION.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: Not far into the next day, Hinata found herself deep in thought. Only moments latter, Kawayui asked her and Naruto to play with her. One thing led to another, resulting in an embarrassing event. Just as this event finished, Kakashi realized too late that he let his guard down. A strange woman took advantage and sucked the cart underground. After comforting Kawayui, the Naruto and Hinata fought this woman. She still proved too strong for the both of them and managed to slam Hinata against the wall. The woman aimed her spear like sword for the girl's heart.)

* * *

**10-11-09**

**I have decided to go back to updating while watching bleach at midnight instead of when I wake on Sunday.**

"**The Genso Clan."**

Naruto watched helplessly as the defenseless Hinata simply waited to be skewered by the woman's sword. "No. This can't be happening. I have been training like crazy for days now. How can I still~ be this weak? HINATA~-CHAN!"

Just at this moment, the sound of countless birds chirping echoed through the entire cavern. The shaggy haired woman stopped instantly and drove her sword's point into the ground towards the white haired jonin with a ball of lightning chakra in his hand. Large spikes of earth that looked just like the sword shot out of the ground. Kakashi easily tore through them and plunged his electrified hand into her heart. The body quickly lost its color before becoming brown dust. "An earth clone."

That same woman slowly rose out of the ground a fair distance ahead. She glared at Kakashi with a passion. "_That _Gouman! To think that he couldn't keep a few pathetic shinobi at bay for a few minutes. Why we haven't killed him yet baffles me. If that man did his job right, I would be killing that foolish family right now." She hopped up and scrapped the top of the cavern with her sword. In that instant, the place started to cave in where that woman was.

This alone looked very odd to Kakashi. "It's hard to believe that she couldn't make this whole cavern cave in. Why did she only want to cover her escape? She could have easily tried to crush us all." Kakashi sighed. "Meh, I shouldn't complain about a good thing. I certainly wouldn't have been able to get everyone out in time." He then turned his eye to Hinata. "This cannot wait any longer. The gentle approach is no longer an option. Those flames were difficult to get through even though I was surrounded in my water jutsu." Kakashi let out another sigh. "Things really get out of hand when these two are involved."

After some long moments of holding his breath, Naruto finally released it. "She's safe. Hinata-chan's okay." Naruto looked up at Kakashi as the man walked right in front of him. Naruto turned his eyes down with a forlorn expression. "Arigato Kakashi-sensei. I… I couldn't do anything."

Kakashi saw Kurenai at the corner of his eye and signaled her that he will take care of the genin while she takes care of the clients. "Let's go get Hinata."

Naruto averted his eyes. "But."

Kakashi retaliated with a stern glare. "That is not a request Naruto. You are to come with me." Kakashi's eye clearly said that he will drag Naruto if he had too. With this message received, Naruto reluctantly followed Kakashi over to where Hinata was.

Like Naruto, Hinata was quite unwilling to look at the other one directly. Her newest injury hardly crossed her mind even as she held her side. "I was sure that would work. The most that I did was buy enough time for Kakashi-sensei to show up. I hope I didn't make Naruto-kun mad or make him worry too much."

Kakashi crossed his arms in a show of authority. "I have a fairly good idea what happened here. I am guessing that it is very similar to the time that I was captured by Zabuza's Water Prison Jutsu. Can one of you two tell me the difference between what you two did then that you didn't do now."

Naruto clenched his fists in quick frustration. "Are you telling me to let Hinata-chan become a weapon?"

Hinata looked at Naruto. "I was right."

Kakashi smirked. "And now we are getting somewhere. Didn't you tell me that you enjoy reacting with Hinata last night? If I am mistaken about what you told me then, reacting with her helps lift a burden that you have felt within yourself for so long, you only just now realized that you even had this burden."

Naruto was flabbergasted about how Kakashi so freely gave away what he thought was supposed to be a private conversation. "I-Is that tr-true Naruto-kun."

"I-I-I-I."

"Oh~~, it's true alright. The same way that reacting with Naruto gives you a feeling that you never want to be without, right Hinata."

It was Hinata's turn to be surprised and embarrassed. "H-how?"

"It wasn't by pure coincidence that Kurenai and I had a talk with one of you two last night. I know about everything you said on that night. … That is some pretty intense stuff for a girl your age to be saying. I almost felt like I was hearing someone read a passage from my book. You were pretty close to stepping over the line to something you are not ready for. But that is for another time. What I am trying to tell you two is that you both want to react, but Naruto's personal feelings are getting in the way. The only one in the wrong here is Naruto."

Hinata quickly moved to Naruto's defense. "_Wait!_ N-Naruto-kun just doesn't w-want me to become a w-weapon."

"Then don't become one. Weapons are emotionless. They kill whatever their target is without discrimination. They rarely care about who uses them excluding the weapons that only one person can use. So far, you only fall under the exceptions to the third one. The other two don't even come close to describing you. I also doubt that Naruto is the type of person who would force you to do things you don't want to. As far as I am concerned, you could never become a true weapon. Neither of you should fool yourselves into thinking otherwise. You must instead think of this as having a skill that no one in all of the elemental nations possesses. When you two react and synchronize yourselves, you are able to unleash random attacks as strong as C-ranked or can reach the power of A-ranked jutsu when you sing. Fighting like what you two are capable of for an extended period would kill most genin and a few chunin as well."

"Are you telling me that I should react with Hinata-chan for everything?"

"Defiantly not. As long as it is possible for you to defeat someone without reacting, you should do that. This way you will both be able to grow as individuals. Even with the power reacting gives you, it is worthless if you can't get close enough to actually react. This is when those individual skills would come into play. What the both of you have to do is find a balance between perfecting your combined skills and your individual abilities. This is something that the both of you have to figure out for yourselves. Both Kurenai and I cannot help you much." Kakashi let out a long breath as his speech proved to be more taxing than he thought it would. "I think that my sensei had it easy. Battles and wars are a lot simpler than all these emotions. I am going to go check out the clients. I suggest that you two get out of here too. There is no telling when the place will collapse."

These last words provided a burst of worry for both genin. Hinata tried to stand, but the injury to her side caught up to her in the form of stumbling. Naruto was right at her side, supporting her. He then crouched down in front of her with his hands prepped to hold her legs. "Climb on."

Hinata blushed profusely. "N-n-no. I-I'm fine." An echo of crumbing rock suddenly sounded. Because it was behind her, Hinata flinched forward. At the same time, Naruto was prepared to force her onto his back. The result was Hinata ramming her upper-forehead into the back of Naruto's head. "G-gomen."

"Ita-ta-ta. Your headband hurts Hinata-chan. Do you have a rock or something under there?"

Hinata chuckled at this. "Gomen. I-it's my elemental g-gelade." She lifted her headband to reveal the shining green gem.

Naruto chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head. "I guess that I forgot about that since you always keep it covered." Suddenly, the ceiling above them started to crack as the flames illuminating the cavern faded. In quick response, Naruto picked Hinata up bridal style and ran full speed away from the crumbling sound. It only took them a few seconds to break through the surface. Naruto looked around and saw everyone a short distance away from the path. He then looked down to find that Hinata was a bit stiff. "Are you okay Hinata-chan? Can you stand?"

"H-Hai. I-I-I'm o-okay." Naruto lowered Hinata's legs and helped her keep her balance for a few seconds. "Arigato. I-I should be fine o-on my own."

"Are you sure? Your side isn't hurting you too bad, right?"

"I-it's okay Naruto-kun. I am j-just a bit br-bruised."

"If you say so Hinata-chan." The blond looked down and away a bit. "Gomen Hinata-chan. I didn't think that I was being that selfish."

"N-n-n-no Naruto-kun. I-I was the one be-being selfish. Y-you were thinking a-about me." Hinata's blushing darkened with that sentence, but quickly faded a bit. "I only thought a-about how I w-wanted to be r-reacting again."

"No, I was the one being selfish. I decided for myself what you wanted based on what I would want. I never thought for a second about what you would actually want Hinata-chan."

Kakashi appeared behind them unnoticed. "This is sweet and all, but I have a feeling that it will never end if I don't interrupt." Both of them reflexively hopped from the sudden surprise. "I swear, you two sounded like you could go on like a fresh teenaged couple would."

This resulted in bright red blushes on both of their faces, with Hinata winning out on deepness of color. Hinata started losing her balance. Luckily for her, Naruto saw it just in time to make the catch. A sigh of relief was released. "Whew, that was close."

"Sure was. She's a nice catch Naruto. This is almost too~ easy."

"Yeah, thanks Kakashi sensei." Those words replayed through Naruto's head once again, causing his fading blush quickly light up again. "KAKASHI-SENSEI~~!"

Kakashi's joking expression turned serious. "All kidding aside, we have found ourselves in a very troublesome mission. It could even be more difficult than the one when we had to fight against Zabuza. One reason for this is that we don't actually know their main goal. We just know that they are targeting this family for some reason. We also don't know how many there are. All I can be sure of is that the two that were sent after use are the weakest of the group."

Naruto was shocked by this. "NANI~~~! THAT'S IMPOSIBLE!"

"It's not that hard to believe Naruto. There are countless shinobi who express strength that even I won't be able to fight against. Those two definitely weren't doing what they did out of their own interests."

"What do we do Kakashi-sensei?"

"For starters, we have to regroup. Excluding Sakura, everyone seems to be taking the sudden attack pretty well. Even the clients seem to be taking this better than her. She needs to get used to surprises. In this kind of situation, we can't afford for your beliefs to get in the way. I want you and Hinata to remain no further from each other than five meters. We don't know what kind on enemies we will have to deal with. Though I really wish that I did."

**An unknown location a number of miles away.**

The same shaggy looking woman that fought against Naruto and Hinata walked into a large hole in the ground while wearing a large scowl on her face. "If that Gouman is the only one down there, I will kill him."

As soon as she walked into a large lit room, a deep, male, and authoritative voice echoed towards her. "Hello there Sagesumi. It appears to me that you failed to obtain your target for your mission. Care to explain." The man sat in a large chair and positioned himself much like a king. His hair was a slick greenish-grey with grey eyes. He wore a grey-green armored vest with spiral designs and other adornments.

Despite the man's very calm voice, experience taught Sagesumi that this voice contains great malice. Experience also provided her a way to remain calm. "One of the shinobi that Gouman was supposed to keep at bay managed to get through. He used a very powerful lightning style jutsu. Now that I think about him, his appearance was very reminiscent of the Copy Ninja Kakashi Hatake."

The man smiled and closed his eyes. "I see~. I know that could never match up to a shinobi of his caliber. Even so, Gouman should have bought enough time to kill that family and find your objective."

"I apologize Ishuikon-sama. Some worthless genin managed to get sucked down with the family. If I had just an extra second before Kakashi showed, I would have killed one of them."

The man simply chuckled. "Well~, these things happen. Our best option would be for all five of us to attack them. I greatly despise repeat failures."

Sagesumi flinched at a burst of killer intent. This mood was suddenly broken by loud overbearing laughter. Another man walked down the stairs. His hair was dark red with thick spikes facing backwards. His eyes and black striped jacket were a matching color. The t-shirt he wore underneath was a flashy combination of red, yellow, and orange. His pants were much darker, but still matched this color scheme. "You should have seen them up there. They were all freaking out. It is fun watching weaklings like that."

"GET OVER YOURSELF! WHILE YOU WHERE PLAYING AROUND, I WAS DOING THE REAL JOB! YOU MIGHT AS WELL HAVE NOT BEEN THERE!"

"Now~, now~ Sumi-chan. There is no need for you to get so hostile. It is not very cute. You should come to my room and let me show you how a real~ woman should behave."

Even after hearing this so many times, Sagesumi still didn't believe what she was hearing. "GET OVER YOURSELF BAKA! AS IF I WOULD WAIST MY TIME WITH A WEAKLING LIKE YOURSELF! IF I GET STUCK ALONE WITH YOU~, YOU'LL BE DEAD IN MINUTES!"

Gouman simply laughed loudly. "I think it is you who is full of herself. As if a _woman_ could kill _me_. Try and you might as well be asking me to have my way with you." The man laughed continuously as he went into a hallway to the side.

Sagesumi turned to Ishuikon with barely restrained anger. "Why do we even have that weakling with us? We would be much better off if he were dead and gone."

"I am afraid that we have him for that very reason. I do not need anyone in this group that can challenge my authority. I had to make sure that the person with Gouman's position was considerably weaker than me. If he were to prove himself to be more trouble than he is worth, _then_ I will allow for him to be killed. You may have the honor then."

A sudden smooth female voice came from behind Ishuikon. "Awe~~, and here I was hoping that it would be me. Killing him would be so~ easy for me. Fun too."

Ishuikon simply smirked. "If that is so, then he wouldn't provide a good stepping stone to increasing your strength."

"And I thought that you didn't want anyone stronger than you." The source of the voice stepped out from a pillar that was behind Ishuikon's chair. She had silky black hair tied in a long and thin ponytail. Her choice of clothing was actually a dark blue battle kimono with a lighter blue sash. Her cloudy blue eyes had a calming feeling to them. "Though I can understand. For all you know Ishuikon-sama, I~ could be stronger than you; bidding my time for a chance to take over."

The man merely smirked at the threat. "As usual, your words are as false as your appearance Zurui-chan. We both know you could never defeat me."

"Too true. The only one of us that could be stronger than you is Honogurai, who you really don't have to worry about. He may be hard to figure out, but his loyalty is unquestionable. He also has a technical disadvantage against you Ishuikon-sama."

Sagesumi started moving a hand questioningly. "Speaking of the graveyard king, where is he?" Ishuikon simply pointed to a spot behind her. She looked and flinched away after seeing the man sitting on the floor just a few feet away; Five o'clock from where she was originally facing. He had a very plain face and wore a dark violet jacket, lighter shirt, and matching pants. "What is with that man? He could stand in the middle of a dried lakebed and still go unnoticed. I can't count how many times he has popped up behind me or Gouman. I _am_ glad that he is on my side … though it is more like I am on his side."

Zurui took a nearby chair and sat. "Tell use Ishuikon-sama. What _shall_ we do next? Are all five of us going next time?"

"We will Zurui-chan. I plan to show them all the kind of vengeance you receive for becoming a hindrance against the Genso."

* * *

**That does it for the villain introduction for this story arc. I hope to hear some feedback on my first original villains.**

**Next Chapter: Secrets Revealed.**


	19. Secrets Revealed: Chapter 19

Underlined speech is thought.

Italicized _words_ signify emphasis put on words or a change in tone_._

_Sentences of thought that are completely italicized were spoken by another character previously in this story's timeline._

_Italicized sections are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is **bolded,** it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is underlined, it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is (underlined), it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. Songs will not use quotation marks like normal speech._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING OR HIGH EMOTION.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: Just before Hinata got hit, Kakashi showed up and stopped the woman with a Chidori. The earth clone disintegrated, giving the woman time to escape. As Kurenai got the family out of the cave, Kakashi had talk with both Naruto and Hinata. In this talk, he revealed what the two said the night before. Kakashi soon left, with Naruto carrying Hinata running after him a short time later. They had a back and forth apology contest until Kakashi interrupted again, causing Hinata to faint. As this happened, the woman from before went into her group's hiding place. One by one, each of the five members had their presence and names known; Gouman, Sagesumi, Zurui, Honogurai, and Ishuikon.)

* * *

**10-25-09**

**It seems that Sagesumi and Gouman got the most attention in the reviews. I guess that it is because they were the ones that attacked. The surprising part was that one reviewer was actually promoting a Sagesumi/Kakashi relationship.**

**I have also added a new writing rule written at the top. It is the one that is fully underlined and italicized. It states that when thoughts are fully italicized, they are words spoken by another character at another time. I also need to say that I made a mistake a while ago. When Hinata is reacted with Naruto, others can hear her talking as well.**

**Lastly, the title has been changed.**

"**Secrets Revealed"**

Kakashi left Naruto to carry Hinata back to the group and headed straight for the older clients and Kurenai. The female jonin was in the process of wrapping Chahoya's right forearm in a tight sling. "Tell me Kurenai, how is he."

The scarlet woman sighed. "Luckily, it is just a hairline fracture. It shouldn't take him more than a week or two to heal."

Kakashi nodded in acknowledgment before focusing upon Chahoya. "Again, I apologize for what happened back there. I foolishly let my guard down just because it seemed like nothing could happen. I will understand if you want to withhold any payment."

"Don't blame yourself Kakashi-san. When we where being sucked down that hole, all I could think about was protecting my family. I felt helpless knowing that my daughter was out of my reach. That's why when I saw Naruto-kun and Hinata-chan protecting Kawayui-chan with their bodies, my heart relaxed. Without those two, my daughter could have been severely injured or even killed. All three of us could have been killed if they didn't fight that woman off long enough for you to show up. My cargo and Oxen got away with minimum damage as well. From what I see, I owe you shinobi even more now. It was me who ignored the warning that was given to me. It was me that made the mistake."

Kakashi let out a breath then eye-smiled. "I see. You are quite an understanding man. Still, I would prefer that you only pay us the original amount. I would feel guilty otherwise."

Kahogo nodded with a gentle smile. "We understand." She turned to her husband and placed an arm over his shoulder. "Come one dear. We should get back to the cart. I'll drive while you keep an eye on our daughter."

"I won't let her out of my sight."

The married pair went to the driver's seat, both helping the other up just as Naruto approached with the still comatose Hinata. Kurenai turned to Kakashi with a half-hearted glare. "What did you say?"

Kakashi simply chuckled. "I decided to temporarily remove the word tact from my dictionary."

"Even if you did that permanently, I doubt anyone would really notice."

"That's harsh~ Kurenai-chan. I know~ how to be tactful. I just tend to be tactless more often than other people."

The genjutsu-specialist let out a long sigh. "It can't be helped. Considering the situation right now, a tactless approach may be for the best."

Kiba ran up to Naruto with an angry expression. "What's wrong with you? Can't you even protect her?"

Naruto glared at Kiba with a look of pure determination. "It will _not_ happen again."

Kiba could only find himself backing off from the piercing light in Naruto's eyes. "O-okay~ then."

Hinata picked that moment to start waking up. With how often these embarrassing events seem to be happening, she only had a slight blush as she waited for Naruto to put her feet to the ground. "A-arigato Naruto-kun. I-I should be fine n-now. My side has a-already stopped h-hurting."

Naruto started rubbing the back of his head. "I guess that I underestimated you Hinata-chan. You are a lot tougher than you look."

Hinata looked down while covering her smile with her hand. "I guess that's Naruto's way of saying that I am strong. Arigato."

"What happened down there?" The three turned to the demanding voice of Sasuke.

"What's it to you Sasuke. They just got attacked by someone stronger."

Sasuke scoffed. "What kind of excuse is that? Do you two know how much I would give to have the kind of power you have. No matter how strong that person down there was, you would have only needed to react to defeat them."

Hinata's eyes widened. "I still haven't told my teammates about that. I don't want Kiba-kun and Shino-kun thinking that I am keeping secrets from them."

"Shut up teme. Unlike you~, I can see Hinata-chan for more than that. You should work on your people skills. Kami knows that they need it."

Sasuke was absolutely shocked. "You~ did not just tell me that I~ need to work on my people skills. You are the most clueless person I know. You can't even tell that that weapon of yours is hopelessly in love with you."

Hinata let out a shocked gasp with widened eyes. Beads of tears started to form in the corners of her eyes. The Hyuga turned towards the scattered forest and ran with her sleeves covering her eyes. "NO! That's not how I wanted him to find out. Why did this have to happen just when things where getting better."

No one, not even Sakura, could believe what Sasuke just blurted out. Kiba clenched his fists in anger. "HEY, UCHIHA! WHERE TO DO YOU GET OFF BLURTING OUT SOMEONE'S PERSONAL FEELINGS LIKE THAT?! I KNEW YOU WERE A JERK, BUT THIS IS LOW!"

Shino walked up with his normal calm expression. "I concur. It was Hinata's wish that she informs Naruto-san of her own accord. You had no right to your actions."

Sasuke clenched his teeth and turned away from them. He glanced at Sakura, who adverted her eyes. "Hump, even the fan-girl thought I went too far." He walked off with his clenched fists stuffed in his pocket. "It's not like I care about what they think anyways."

Through all this, Naruto was more shocked by what Sasuke said than anybody else. Without doing anything else, Naruto ran full speed in the same direction Hinata ran. Not sure about where she went, Naruto formed his favorite hand-seal. "Shadow Clone Jutsu." Memories of the night in wave he spent training with Hinata came to mind.

**Flashback.**

The reacted pair faced down a group of pre-summoned Naruto Shadow Clones. Naruto smiled as Hinata focused herself. The first clone charge in only to be cut down in an instant. The eyes of Hinata's ethereal form twitched. "What was that?" As Naruto cut down each of the attacking clones, Hinata focused completely on that single sensation.

With just four clones left, Hinata decided to speak up. "Can we stop for a moment?"

"What's wrong Hinata-chan?"

"I~, I'm not sure. Every time we defeat a clone, I feel like I can see everything that clone saw in its life."

Naruto's expression became confused. "That sounds a bit weird Hinata-chan. Are you sure you are not imagining it."

She looked down in thought. "I'm not sure. I saw it with every clone, so I think so."

Naruto developed a goofy smile. "Let's give it a try." He turned to the clones and pointed to the one to the far right. "You know what to do."

The clone saluted. "Hai boss." That clone disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Did it work Hinata-chan?"

"I…I don't know. It's still faint. Maybe if they had some memories that I haven't seen with my own eyes; then it may be more vivid."

"Okay." He then pointed to the clones on the left. "Try something behind those trees over there." Moments after they disappeared, memories of a game of rock-paper-scissors and a brawl started by the sore loser came to both. Naruto flinched back in shock. "Wow… did you get that Hinata-chan?"

"Hai Naruto-kun." She chuckled a bit. "You don't get along with yourself Naruto-kun."

Naruto laughed at Hinata's joke. "You're pretty funny Hinata-chan. You should say stuff like that more often."

Hinata's ethereal form developed a contrasting red glow on her cheeks. "I usually wouldn't say something like that. I think you rub off onto me a bit when we react. Maybe our minds are unconsciously connected when we react."

"Then shouldn't we be able to read our minds."

"The unconscious mind doesn't include what we are thinking. It's our personalities, feelings, and memories we aren't thinking about."

"Cool. Let's see if we can see my clone's memories when we are separate."

"Hai."

The two canceled the reaction as Naruto pointed at his last clone. "Go behind the trees and try something." It didn't take long for Naruto to get the memories of his clone trying to do the tree climbing exercise. "Did you get that Hinata-chan?"

"I-I think so. I would h-have missed i-it if I wasn't focused o-on trying to receive y-your memories."

"So you were right." Naruto gave a wide smile with his eyes closed. "You're some kind of genius Hinata-chan."

**Flashback end.**

"I am such a baka. I am supposed to be able to feel her feelings, yet I couldn't even tell what Hinata-chan thought about me." Memories of one of his clones finding Hinata crying under a pair of trees with trunks right next to the other's popped into his head. He immediately headed straight for that spot. As soon as he could see her with his own eyes, Naruto stopped in his tracks. "What can I say? What do I do?" He silently looked down in frustration while grasping his blond hair. "I can't just leave her like that. If I don't say something, she will just keep crying." Naruto tentatively stepped forward, silent to Hinata's ears. "Ano, Hinata-chan."

The Hyuga let out a loud gasp and looked at Naruto. Half a second passed before she curled up into as tiny of a ball she could become. Because of the suddenness of what just happened, she was too terrified to say or think anything.

"Is what Sasuke said true? I know that it makes everything make sense and I heard what the others said, but I want to hear it from you." Hinata remained as still and silent as before. "Hinata-chan. … You know, I have never had anyone use the word love and me in the same sentence. I guess that's because there aren't many people who do~ love me. The only four I can be sure of are Ojii-san, Iruka-sensei, Ayame-nee-chan and Teuchi-jii-san. I am not even sure if my own parents loved me. I have been alone for so long, I don't know what to say."

She finally started moving by lifting her head enough to look Naruto in the eyes. She was entrapped by the medley of emotions that filled Naruto's blue eyes. "I can't look away."

Naruto stepped forward once while focusing on Hinata's eyes. They were reddened and slightly puffy from her continued crying. The blond saw not this, but the worry that was obvious on her pupil-less eyes. This served to create a strong urge to get closer. Naruto opted for rubbing the back of his head instead. "I guess that you don't feel comfortable saying something like that. Let's just forget that this happened and you can tell me how you feel yourself whenever you're ready." Hinata slowly relaxed into an upright position and showed Naruto her smile. After a sniffle, she pressed her eyes into the cuffs of her sleeves to remove the last of her tears. Naruto bent down and held his palms out. Hinata recognized this gesture and placed her hands on his.

_**O**n a **h**elpless **b**ut **p**retty (**n**ight)  
**S**oothing **a**nd comforting  
And prospering on the (eyelids)  
Surrounded by the lively and bright fields of (heaven)  
As (I), at this moment  
Make this promise to join like **(**(twins)**)**  
Like a string of breaths  
Winds grab a hold of (us)_

Just now, Hinata's team and sensei appeared. All of them stopped in place at the sight of Naruto and Hinata wrapped in a veil of wind and light.

_I, at this moment  
And through (eternity)  
Wear the winds of the red (soul)  
As I make this promise  
And bind my (soul to yours)_

The light brightened and then concentrated upon a single spot. When the light faded, Naruto was revealed with a massive light green weapon on his right arm. Kurenai quickly realized what this was. "This is what their reactions look like. I never expected it to be such a sight to behold."

After a few moments of bewilderment, Kiba started freaking out. "WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE?! WHAT WAS WITH ALL THAT WIND?! WHAT'S THAT BIG SWORD?! WHERE DID HINATA GO?!"

After a few moments contemplating this surprise, Shino spoke up. "It appears that this is what Sasuke-san meant when he referred to Hinata as a weapon."

"ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT THAT SWORD IS~ HINATA?! THAT'S CRAZY!"

"No Kiba, Shino is right. That sword really is Hinata."

Kiba's jaw dropped for a few seconds. After those, he turned to Naruto and got in his face. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HINATA?!"

Naruto didn't hesitate to get angry. "WE JUST REACTED! DIDN'T HINATA-CHAN TELL YOU ABOUT _THAT_?!"

The ethereal Hinata gulped loudly. "Ano~… I haven't gotten around to that."

Kiba's confusion made his face look like a zombie's. He then pointed at the sword. "HOW CAN YOU TALK LIKE THAT?! YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE A MOUTH!" Akamaru barked for about a minute with Kiba listening intently. "So you are saying that you can see Hinata behind Naruto." The puppy barked in confirmation.

"So you can see~ me Akamaru-chan?" The puppy jumped out of Kiba's vest and landed on Naruto's shoulder. He then looked at Hinata while growling softly. "Gomen Akamaru-kun."

The puppy's expression changed to smiling a wagging the tail. "You should get off that idiot before you catch what he has Akamaru." The white dog returned to Kiba.

Naruto quickly got angry and twitched his right arm. "Stop Naruto-kun."

The command was a moment too late as Naruto arched his right arm towards Kiba in an attempt to point of the Inuzuka. He completely forgot about the massive sword attached to that arm. Kiba just managed to slip away in time to avoid a thin wave of wind that sliced a tree clean in half. After looking at the damage for a few seconds, Kiba turned to Naruto and pointed angrily. "WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT?! YOU COULD HAVE KILLED ME!"

Naruto swiped his arm to his side. "THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH ME!"

Kiba, Kurenai, and Shino stared at Naruto. Kiba's and Kurenai's expressions were completely shocked. Shino's was as calm as usual. "I surmise that the both of you have yet to acquire full regulation of your power."

Naruto became confused. "What's that mean?"

Hinata pointed so that her transparent arm was visible to Naruto. "Ano, look at that Naruto-kun."

The blond looked over to see a line of trees with their trunks separated from the rest of the tree. Kakashi chose this time to reveal himself. "Well~, if being shinobi doesn't work, you two have a real future as loggers."

Kurenai snapped out of it and glared at Kakashi. "This isn't the time to be making jokes. What about what just happened?"

"By the looks of things, Hinata and Naruto have taken care of it themselves. I also dealt with Sasuke. As far as I am concerned, the crisis was averted." He turned his eye to Naruto. "Now would be a good time to break the reaction. I am sure that you both did it to help each other calm down."

Both Naruto and Hinata's spirit smiled and nodded. The sword disappeared in a show of light as Hinata materialized behind Naruto. With the reaction canceled, Hinata's usual insecurity returned. "I-I'm going t-to see Kawayui-ch-chan." She turned to the caravan and started jogging.

Kurenai let out a long sigh. "I'll have to admit… that could have been a lot worse." She then turned to Naruto, giving him a shadowed glare. "I would advise against doing anything to hurt Hinata."

Kurenai walked away in confidence as Naruto stood there scared. Kiba grinned at him in an almost evil way. "Our sensei isn't the only one you have to worry about if you screw up."

As Kiba walked away a thin black cloud formed between Naruto and Shino. "I concur with my teammate. Be wary of your actions." The cloud moved into Shino's jacked as he walked away.

Naruto could only stand there terrified while Kakashi could only be amused. He let out a long whistle under his mask. "Three death threats in thirty seconds. That's a new record."

"THIS ISN'T FUNNY KAKASHI-SENSEI!"

Kakashi only responded by laughing and walking off. His expression quickly changed. "It's a good thing that this incident was resolved so quickly. Not only do they appear more powerful, Hinata showed no signs of fatigue after separating from Naruto. I know they didn't do any big attacks, but that surprised me. The new understanding Naruto has of Hinata may be boosting their synergy. I believe that that will decide the fight that I know will be tomorrow."

* * *

**I just had a pretty emotional chapter here. After Sasuke got into the writing, the chapter took on this new route. I hope I made it plenty believable. The next chapter will defiantly have the attack**

**Next Chapter: Five Fights.**


	20. Five Fights: Chapter 20

Underlined speech is thought.

Italicized _words_ signify emphasis put on words or a change in tone_._

_Sentences of thought that are completely italicized were spoken by another character previously in this story's timeline._

_Italicized sections are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is **bolded,** it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is underlined, it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is (underlined), it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. Songs will not use quotation marks like normal speech._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING OR HIGH EMOTION.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: Done talking to Naruto, Kakashi walked over to the injured Chahoya. The client held no ill will. After that, Kiba displayed his worry for Hinata as anger. After she woke, Sasuke spilled her secret. She ran away with Naruto soon giving chase. After talking with her a little, he is able to react with her. The rest of Hinata's team showed up in time to see it. This reaction led to some accidental displays of their power. Kakashi showed up and decided the problem was resolved. The reaction was canceled and they all left for the cart.

* * *

**11-8-09**

**I laughed out loud when I read page twelve of the newest Naruto manga. A little over seven weeks ago, I came up with an idea of five attributes to attach to the five elements of Naruto. (Anyone reading my other story should already know about these.) I was dead on with Lightning. I actually put down all five of these attributes down on this chapter. Each of the five attributes matches the element I put it too and also matches how each one interacts with the others.**

"**Five Fights"**

By the next morning, the group prepared to head for their destination. Because of how well Naruto and Hinata protected Kawayui the previous day, Kahogo and Chahoya insisted that the pair remain on the cart. Kakashi thought about this for only a second. "That makes sense. We will be able to defend the cart from five fronts instead of four. Kurenai and I should be enough to cover the sides alone."

Kurenai nodded. "I agree with him for once. Not only will it be best to keep Naruto and Hinata together, our jonin status means that our overall combat force will be more evenly distributed."

Kahogo smiled. "I am so~ glad that you think this way. Honestly, I was just worried that our daughter won't be able to relax any without someone with her. Since the two of us have to be at the front, I wanted it to be people that Kawayui-chan felt comfortable with."

An hour after these short negotiations, the group traveled down the path in the mentioned positions with Shino and Kiba in the front and the Sasuke/Sakura duo covering the rear. The group traveled down a path with an open field to their right and a high drop to the left.

Hiding in the tall grass fields, the three of the Genso waited for the target to pass the point where they will spring the trap. The fourth, Zurui, waited down the side of the cliff. The plan their leader gave them ran through their heads. "_Thanks to the information Gouman and Sagesumi gave us; we have enough to plan our attack. Honogurai will attack from the side that the genjutsu woman will be guarding. Zurui will attack from the side the Copy-Ninja is guarding shortly after. Gouman can have where ever he wants and Sagesumi can take the leftovers. I will accomplish our goal personally. You all know what I want you to do._" Because their leader has the keen eyes necessary for it, he waited much further down the path and gave directions over a long distance radio.

As this happened, Kakashi moved close to where Hinata was sitting. "What do you see?"

Hinata held her hands in a firm hand-seal and the veins around her temples bulged greatly. Her voice was all business. "There is one woman down the cliff and th-three in the field. The one in the center of those three looks like he is very s-strong and is lined up with the woman down the cliff. The same woman Naruto-kun and I f-fought is a bit closer. The last man is a little further down. I also saw someone between o-one and two kilometers in front of us. I can't be nervous here. Everyone is counting on me."

Kakashi smiled under his mask. "Hinata has really improved suddenly. Even if the tense air is increasing her focus, it is impressive for her to say so much with such a small amount of stuttering. I believe that Naruto accepting her played a big role in this. I think we have finally started moving forward from square one."

Hinata relayed the info she gave Kakashi to her original sensei. Kurenai thought about his for a few seconds. "That doesn't make sense. If they give someone Kakashi could defeat more easily, he would be able to quickly deal with the others. They are taking a gamble by giving me~ the stronger foe. At least I am prepared for them."

Winds whipped across the fields; created a sense of even stronger tension. Each of the genin and jonin were high on edge. The female Genso were all tense after hearing from their boss that the group was apparently aware of there positions. With no real trigger, Honogurai charged after Kurenai. He pulled out a normal sized double-bladed sword that had small serrations on both sides. "Genso Shindouken: Tesla." He charged it with lightning elemental chakra and swept it through the air right in front of Kurenai. Multiple branches of lightning fired out quicker than Kurenai could prepare for. Most shook up the ground in front of Kurenai, but one was aimed straight for Kakashi.

The Copy-Ninja dodged to his left and was surprised when the man passed Kurenai and jumped over the cart. Just at this happened; a woman with long dark hair passed by him and trusted a rapier-like weapon towards his legs far outside of her striking range. "Genso Sokubakuken: Blocking Flow."

The jonin tried to move but there was a hitch. "My legs aren't moving." Kakashi could only pull out a kunai to defend himself from the man's sword. "I didn't expect them to attack this way." With the man's inertia, both fell off the side of the cliff.

Zurui jumped over the cart and took an amuse look at the children on the cart. "What cute little kids." She quickly shifted focus to the crimson wearing jonin.

Stunned by the sudden attack from the other assailant, Kurenai's first reaction was the jump away so she could get her bearings. The dark haired rapier user did not let up at all. "This isn't good. They have already separated the jonin from everyone."

Sagesumi and Gouman charged in at the exact same time. They passed each other as they headed for the end opposite of their original position. The two genin guarding the front tried to go help their female jonin, but Sagesumi quickly interrupted. "Genso Suikomuken: Rising Jaw." She thrust the point of her weapon into the ground, causing rising stone replications of her weapon to force the two back.

Shino quickly noticed a peculiarity with each stone spire. "This jutsu has additional proficiency."

As Sagesumi dealt with Shino and Kiba, Gouman went after Sasuke and Sakura. Sasuke quickly responded with some hand-seals. "Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu."

Gouman smiled like he hit the jackpot. "Genso Hirogeruken: Rising Flames." He pulled out a sword that had a flame design hilt and continued flame designs down the blade's sides. As soon as he put the point in Sasuke's flames, they suddenly started expanding violently away from Gouman. Both Sasuke and Sakura were forced to back away before the fire could burn them. Gouman smiled widely as he stared down the pair. "This should be fun~~."

With all the chaos going on in these short moments, the family struggled to get the oxen under control as Naruto and Hinata struggled to figure out who they should help. Naruto simply decided on his favorite hand-seal. "MULTI-SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" About eighty clone of Naruto appeared and began to jump out to help each group.

"Genso Igameruken: Turbulence." All the clones suddenly found themselves either disappearing on the spot or being twisted into a position where they would land awkwardly enough to disappear on landing.

Going by the chakra she sensed, Hinata looked ahead to see a man with gray-green hair and a large sword that had a cyclone shaped hilt and multiple spirals along the side of the blade. "RUN AWAY~~!"

To their surprise, Kiba and Shino noticed the man standing right next to them only after he used that jutsu. He gave them an annoyed look and thrust his sword into the ground. "Genso Igameruken: Reformation." The earth started to be torn apart, quickly forcing both of the genin back. The storm of earth soon forced them to the edge of the cliff.

Before they could think to get away from the edge, Sagesumi thrust her weapon into the ground. "Genso Shidouken: Fault Line." She slashed, pulling out a thick section of the ground. With this done, Kiba and Shino lost their stable footing and fell off. Sagesumi didn't hesitate to give chase. "Ishuikon-sama isn't our leader just because of his leadership skills. No normal shinobi can use wind elemental chakra through the ground."

The two parents found themselves terrified at the prospect of being in the same situation as the day before. It didn't take much experience to realize that this man was stronger than the woman that just jumped down. Hinata was also scared. "This man's different. It feels like he could explode at any moment."

Naruto reached out and gripped Hinata's hand tightly. "Don't worry. Together … we can handle him."

Hinata blushed, looked down, and smiled. "Arigato. I-I needed that."

Naruto smiled as well. "Shadow Clone Jutsu." One more clone popped up. "You take care of the kid. Hinata-chan and I will deal with _him_." After standing up, the two prepared themselves to leap and intercept the man.

Ishuikon glared at the young pair. "Those two should be the ones Sagesumi said she nearly killed. I say she should finish what she started."

Hinata's grip on Naruto's hand loosened thanks to a wave of malicious intent from the man. A second later, he swung his sword and she found herself falling towards the cliff. "HINATA-CHAN … MULTI-SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" A large number of clones formed in Hinata's direction. One of them grabbed the original and threw him towards her. All of the other Naruto jumped off the edge and reached out for them.

Ishuikon glared at this scene. "Does that brat really think he can get away with wasting so much chakra against me? I am going to show him something to be afraid of with my next attack." His eyes widened in both confusion and curiosity at the sound of some strange chanting.

_**O**n a **h**elpless but pretty (night)_

_Soothing and **c**omforting_

_And prospering on the (eyelids)_

_Surrounded by the lively and bright fields of (heaven)_

_As **(**I**)**, at this moment_

_Make this promise to join like ((twins))_

_Like a string of breaths_

_Winds grab a hold of (us)_

Ishuikon attacked the group of clones, but they already tossed Naruto and Hinata up into the air. "What is this?"

_(I), at this moment_

_And through eternity_

_Wear the winds of the red (soul)_

_As I make this promise_

_(And bind my soul to yours.)_

"Genso Igameruken, Turbulence." The fierce winds rushed towards Naruto and Hinata, but they simply flowed around the large orb of bright light and winds. The orb fell at an unusually slow pace and burst at landing. When Naruto was revealed with a massive light green sword over his right arm, Ishuikon's eyes widened in surprise. "Sagesumi never mentioned this."

The two parents/clients were also very shocked. "Hoya-kun, do you know what this is?"

"This is a first for me. I remember nearly everything I hear about shinobi, but I have never heard of this."

Naruto stood up straight and struck a very imposing pose towards Ishuikon. "Let's do this Hinata-chan."

"Hai."

**Kakashi vs. Honogurai:**

Kakashi ducked in and out away from Honogurai's sword. The kunai resting in pieces on the ground and his numb arms taught him that he should not try to block that weapon any more. Kakashi surmised that he man was easily at the level of the average jonin. The sword split Kakashi in half, only for the two halves to turn into a split log. "I can't believe that I have never heard of this man before. This group had done well to keep the identity of its members secret."

Kakashi heard the sound of the unknown man slamming the flat of his blade onto a tree. In just a second, Kakashi had to duck out of the way as the tree he was hiding behind was sliced clean through. The Copy-Ninja quickly hid again. "You cannot hide from me Kakashi Hatake. Shindou has that name because it represents the attribute of lightning chakra." The man hit a tree again. "I can use these vibrations to find you. I can also reuse yours or my own vibrating chakra."

Kakashi once again ducked away from his arboreal hiding place so he wouldn't end up just like the tree. The jonin slid to a stop and stared down his foe with both eyes. "It appears you won't be giving me any time to rest. Tell me, what your name is?"

He faced Kakashi down with a focused expression. The moment he received his name rang clear in his head. "I am Honogurai Genso."

"I see. This should prove to be difficult. He made it clear that I can't use any lightning jutsu against him."

**Kurenai vs. Zurui:**

Kurenai slipped left and right while trying to avoid being pierced by the thin rapier. She deflected the light weapon with a kunai and gained some distance for a jutsu. "Demonic Art: Tree Binding Death."

Zurui stopped in place as a tree grew out of the ground and immobilized all her limbs. She struggled furiously and gripped her weapon enough to turn her knuckles white. "LET ME OUT OF THIS!"

Kurenai pulled out her kunai and stalked towards the unknown woman. "I need to end this quickly and go help the others. You should tell me your name before I am done with you. I'd hate to not have anything to put on your grave."

The woman glared at Kurenai fiercely. "My name is Mukoku Genso."

"That is a fitting name for your current situation Mukoku-san. Goodbye." Without warning, the bound woman suddenly started to try piercing Kurenai's eye with her weapon. She barely got away with a scratch along her temple. The jonin quickly swallowed a clotting pill as blood flowed freely from the nicked blood vessel. "How?"

The dark haired woman licked the blood off the tip of her weapon in a disturbing way. "Genso Sokubakuken: Binding Whip." In a single second, a long whip of water formed at the tip of the rapier. She then swung the whip at Kurenai. The jonin tried to dodge, but the water turned and wrapped around every limb. "It's very simple. My little Sokubaku is named after the attribute of water chakra. I can release a pulse that can restrict the flow of my own chakra, canceling even the most powerful genjutsu." She smiled sadistically. "By the way … I lied to you. My real name is Zurui Genso."

Kurenai struggled against the water. "This isn't good. She completely turned the tables on me."

The water whip started to shorten, pulling Kurenai in. Zurui smirk grew even more sadistic. "You should tell me your name before I am done with you. I'd~ hate to not have something to put on your~ grave." She lifted the point of her Sokubaku so that the tip was lined up with Kurenai's heart.

**Shino/Kiba vs. Sagesumi:**

Shino and Kiba constantly had to avoid the rising spikes that are brought up by their opponent's attacks. Shino dodged to his right and used a large line of his beetles to sling himself towards their foe. The insects released their hold just in time for him to avoid being skewered. He landed a short distance behind her and took up a calm stance. "Your sword is peculiar, but I have ascertained its attributes."

Sagesumi relaxed her aggressive stance a bit. "Oh _really_, do~ tell."

Shino remained silent for a full second. "Your sword's name is Suikomu; which served as my first clue. The entirety of the rock spires you launch toward us has slowly siphoned of chakra if we got too close. I am certain that proximity to your blade would result in faster siphoning."

"You're pretty smart for a bratty little genin. Everything is exactly as you said. Suikomu is named after the attribute of earth elemental chakra. Tell me, what's your name?"

"Considering that the battlefield is no place for manners, I am Shino Aburame."

"Tch … fine then. I guess that a brain like you deserves to learn one more thing before dieing. Listen because I will tell you only once. My name is Sagesumi Genso."

Kiba and Akamaru watched with blank expression. "What are we … chopped liver?" Akamaru wined at the sound of the tasty metaphor. "This isn't the time to be thinking about your stomach Akamaru. Let's get in there."

Sagesumi pierced the ground with her weapon. "Genso Suikomuken: Great Maw." Countless spires rose out of the ground, surrounded both genin in a chakra draining environment.

**Sakura/Sasuke vs. Gouman:**

Sakura and Sasuke had to back away constantly from an ever growing wall of flames. Each second forced them to be separated more and more. The fields were charred black by the wave of destruction caused by Gouman. "WHAT DO YOU KIDS THINK YOU CAN _DO_ AGAINST ME~?!"

The flames died out after separated the two genin by over 150 meters. Sakura worried over this great distance and on how she was only twenty meters away from their opponent. "No~! Now he can pick me off before getting Sasuke-kun."

She was surprised when the red loving man pointed his sword at Sasuke. "GENSO HIROGERUKEN: BURST BULLET!" A fist sized ball of fire formed at the end before firing towards the Uchiha. Sasuke dodged the fireball, but it stopped just before it would hit him. His eyes widened as it quickly expanded and engulfed him.

Tears formed in Sakura's eyes at the large sphere of flames. "No … it can't be."

"How do you like that little missy?" Sakura flinched badly at the man standing just a few meters behind her. She flinched further at the frightening way he looked down on her. "Thanks to Hirogeru here, I am even more amazing. Be glad that I, Gouman Genso, decided to spare you. I'll be making sure you pay me back for this gift in due~ time." Sakura quickly recognize just how Gouman was looking at her, and she found it terrifying.

**Naruto/Hinata vs. Ishuikon:**

_We shall (join)  
As we're doing (now), we shall **(**join**)**  
With the voices of the (winds)  
From the fields of rich soil **(**grains**)**  
It shall spin  
As it is doing (now), it shall (**(**spin**)**)_

"Genso Igameruken: Bladed Gale." Ishuikon slashed the air vertically.

_In a shortened (night), we join now!_

Naruto held his own blade out. "EURO LUMENS!" He then recoiled when a large tunnel of wind burst forth. The thin blade of wind from Ishuikon's attack and the Euro Lumens clashed forcefully. To Naruto's and Hinata's surprise the wind blade split their attack in two and continued towards them. With no time to dodge, Naruto was forced to block the by holding Hinata's weapon form against it vertically. "You okay Hinata-chan?"

The ethereal Hinata's eyes were shut tight. "Hai, I'm okay."

Even with them blocking, the winds still passed over them. After that, the blade turned downward and slashed the cart in two and tossing all the contents around. Most of the crates were destroyed, but the Naruto clone was able to get himself and Kawayui out of there in the nick of time. Without warning, Ishuikon slipped past Naruto and Hinata and into the wreckage. He spent only a few seconds looking through before picking something up and backing away. Without warning, he started laughing loudly. "FINALLY … I HAVE FOUND THEM!" He pulled out a small green gem and inserted it in a previously unnoticed slot in the hilt of his sword. A second passed before a torrent of wind suddenly erupted from around him. As he grinned in a crazed way, he held out four more gems in-between the fingers of his left hand. From left to right, they were violet, yellow, blue, and red. "NOW I … ISHUIKON GENSO WILL~ SHOW THE FIVE NATIONS OF THIS WORLD MY _WRATH~~_!"

* * *

**Most chapters of most stories end with one cliffhanger. I just did five. YAHOO~; NEW RECORD~ … case closed. I have to say that this chapter has been pretty fun to write after I decided how each part would end. This has to be one of my longer chapters.**

**Now back to more serious notes. Here is a recap of the sword names and the attributes. I will start with fire and go around to wind; Hirogeru = Expansion, Sokubaku = Restriction, Suikomu = Absorption, Shindou = Vibration, Igameru = Distortion.**

**Next Chapter: Unexpected Power.**

**(Extra)**

**Based on my attributes for the five elements, I decided to think of an explanation on how Kisame's Samehada works. Even though it exhibit's the attribute of earth style, it is still using water chakra. Think of each of the scales as and entrance to a passage way within the sword. By lining these scales with water chakra, it restricts the way chakra would normally behave and forces it to flow into the sword. If you go by the idea that the sword seems to be alive, this makes more since as the sword should be able to willfully suck chakra in, letting the lining of water chakra do the rest.**


	21. Unexpected Power: Chapter 21

Underlined speech is thought.

Italicized _words_ signify emphasis put on words or a change in tone_._

_Sentences of thought that are completely italicized were spoken by another character previously in this story's timeline._

_Italicized sections are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is **bolded,** it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is underlined, it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is (underlined), it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. Songs will not use quotation marks like normal speech._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING OR HIGH EMOTION.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: After deciding what their formation would be, the group went on their way. In just an hour, they found themselves under attack. Kakashi was forced down the side of a cliff. Kurenai was forced into the fields. Shino, Kiba, Sasuke, and Sakura were separated as well by one foe for each pair. Naruto and Hinata had to deal with the leader. Kakashi realized that his Chidori and Lightning Blade would be useless from what Honogurai told him. Zurui began to pull Kurenai towards an eventual death. Sagesumi summoned a field of chakra draining spikes against Kiba and Shino. Gouman removed Sasuke and approached the helpless Sakura. The big attack Naruto and Hinata used to beat Zabuza's water dragon with was defeated by Ishuikon, who managed to find what he was looking for and used what he found to increase his power even further. He also had four more; one for each of his followers.)

* * *

**11-22-09**

"**Unexpected Power"**

**Kakashi vs. Honogurai:**

Kakashi dashed forward and used his revealed Sharingan to give him perfect timing to dodge Honogurai's sword and land a straight kick to the man's chest. As soon as his back hit the cliff, Kakashi felt a surge of chakra on top of the cliff causing his eyes to widen.. He looked up there with a worried expression. "I don't like the feel of this." He noticed two shining orbs fly down the edge.

The yellow orb headed for the left while the violet one stopped right in front of Honogurai. He looked at it for a second before standing up and grabbing it between his fingers. He then calmly inserted the orb in a slot hidden on the bottom of his hilt. A rush of power suddenly flowed from the sword and into his body. "So this is the power the Nature Gems grant the Genso Blades."

Kakashi's eyes widened as the sword started to vibrate much faster and crackle with even more electricity. Since the sound was exactly like Chidori, Kakashi had no doubt that the sword had that kind of destructive power as well. "I don't stand a chance if he is able to keep that up for long. I wish I knew more wind style jutsu right now."

**Kurenai vs. Zurui:**

Luckily for Kurenai, the water whip that was pulling her to an imminent death was weakest at the point where the rapier controlled it. The jonin only had to muster all her strength and strike the tip with a kunai. She quickly backed away and watched carefully for any attack that Zurui would follow up with. "This is the worst match-up I have experienced in my life. This woman _specializes _in fighting those who use genjutsu. Her jutsu also keeps me from getting too close. All the ninjutsu I know are fire style too." Kurenai clenched her teeth in frustration. "Taijutsu, ninjutsu, and genjutsu: no matter how I look at it, she as sealed away all my attacks."

Her eyes widened when she caught sight of the torrent of wind near where Naruto and Hinata were. Zurui also noticed this. "So Ishuikon-sama found the Nature Gems. Our mission is essentially complete now." She chuckled darkly. "That doesn't mean that I can't have some fun first."

A strong fear worked its way into Kurenai's heart. "That chakra is terrifying. Even with them reacting, I'm not sure that they can handle that. If I don't get past this woman, they could get seriously injured." She turned her attention to the dark haired woman. "This is not the time to be thinking about my disadvantages. All I have to do now is win."

Seemingly without reason, Zurui held her palm to her back. Just a second later, a glowing blue orb landed in her hands. She then put the orb in a previously unnoticed slot between the guard and the handle. A surge of chakra pulsed for an instant before disappearing. Zurui smiled at the feeling emanating from her weapon. "Now I _can't_ lose. Genso Sokubakuken, Binding Whip."

Kurenai's eyes widened when Zurui unleashed four water whips instead of one. "She'll immobilize me completely if those get me." She dodged one and expressed fear when the one passing close to her leg left behind some numbness and a cold chill.

**Shino/Kiba vs. Sagesumi:**

Kiba gritted his teeth in slight frustration. "We can't let Shino take the spotlight Akamaru. Let's show this woman the combinations we have been working on." Kiba took out two small black pills from his pouch and ate one. He tossed the other to Akamaru, who snapped it up like a treat. "All Fours Jutsu." Kiba's features became more feral as a red Akamaru hopped onto his back. "Man Beast Clone." The transformation took effect as Akamaru quickly took Kiba's form. "If those rocks are stealing our chakra, then there's only one thing to do. Let's go Akamaru … Tunneling Fang."

The pair dashed forwards and started rotating at high speed, tearing through every raised piece of rock they came across. Sagesumi was easily distracted by the sound. Shino tried to take advantage, but she quickly reacted to his approach by holding Suikomu in the space between them. "Not going to happen."

Shino backed away and took a deep breath. "I mustn't attack yet. Timing is essential."

Using his opportunity, Kiba tossed a small group of dark violet pellets to Sagesumi's feet. They exploded and released a large violet cloud. Sagesumi only laughed. "Unless this is an odorless poison, give up."

"Fang over Fang."

Sagesumi suddenly found herself being batted back and forth by two large objects. "Why that little. I can't believe I forgot about the other one. He's no push over either."

"Shino's not the only one who can fight. Neither of us needs to see you right now. I can smell your location while Shino can detect your chakra. You've got nowhere to hide."

Shino suddenly caught sight of a yellow light flying into the smog. "That's … disconcerting."

Sagesumi quickly recognized the orb and inserted it into a slot at the bottom of her hilt. "WHO'S TRYING TO HIDE?! GENSO SUIKOMUKEN: GREAT MAW!" She pierced the ground with the spear, causing even a greater number of spikes to shoot out of the ground. Kiba and Akamaru were caught off guard and didn't have time to even think about clawing through the spires before slamming into them head on. The force knocked both unconscious. She looked at her sword. "Ishuikon-sama was right when he said that mine was the one that changes shape with the addition of its Nature Gem. It's not that~ different though." Since the attack blew away the smoke, Sagesumi got a clear view of her last foe. "I have to end this quickly."

Shino took only an instant to analyze things completely. "The quantity and form of the spires has changed. They are now flattened slightly and adorned with incalculable numbers of spikes that are dressed with even more minute spikes. Not only are they more damaging … the flattening and spikes swell the surface area of each spire by over seven fold. Because surface area facilitates absorption, fatality by chakra exhaustion is a real hazard. This can't last any longer."

**Sakura/Sasuke vs. Gouman:**

Sakura backed away slowly from Gouman's foreboding presence. He held her arms in front of herself protectively as tears formed at the corners of her eyes. "This can't be happening. I'm still a young maiden."

Gouman revealed his teeth with a wide grin. "Now that's how a woman should look." He laughed creepily. "That fear makes them so~ easy to train."

"W-w-w-w-what are you talking about. I-I-I'm not even thirteen yet."

Gouman only chuckled darkly. "Fine~ by me. That means that your parts are working now. Now stop this." He dashed forward and gripped her arm forcefully.

"LET ME GO!"

Gouman prepared to pull her in, but he received a kick in the face. He angrily looked up to see the boy that should have died glaring him down with red eyes. Gouman returned the glare. "You lucky punk."

"I am Sasuke Uchiha of the Uchiha clan. … I don't need something as useless as luck."

Sakura instantly switched mental gears. "Sasuke-kun's so~ cool~."

Sasuke turned back and looked Sakura in the eyes. "You were a good distraction while I was getting ready."

Sakura was surprised by the look. "Was that?" She developed a happy smile. "That was Sasuke-kun's Sharingan."

A red orb suddenly flew to Gouman's hands. He quickly inserted it into the slot in the guard. Sasuke pulled on some wires, causing countless kunai and shuriken to fly for their red target. "GENSO HIROGERUKEN: FLAMING VEIL!" A massive sphere of flames spread out from the sword, they obscured Gouman's position and forced Sasuke and Sakura to back away again.

**Naruto/Hinata vs. Ishuikon:**

The instant the winds died down, Ishuikon dashed forward and struck out with full strength. The burst of wind and power worked to send Naruto far off balance. He had no choice but to back away before getting injured. The winds still kept him from managing a solid landing. Ishuikon didn't hesitate in a follow up. As a gamble, Naruto formed half a hand-seal with his free hand and sent a large amount of chakra to his feet. This was enough to jump away and keep his footing. "This guy's stronger than Zabuza."

"You're wrong Naruto-kun. We never had to fight Zabuza-san directly. We can only fight like chunin when we react." Hinata's eyes widened just before she positioned herself to whisper. "He's charging his chakra."

Ishuikon glared at them fiercely. "I don't know how that girl can talk to you like that, but you brats should just die. I don't need any living witnesses. Genso Igameruken: DEVIL'S BREATH!" He slashed the air, releasing a large and fast wall of turbulent wind straight for Naruto and Hinata.

Naruto slashed to air as well, but Ishuikon's attack had no trouble dissipating the wind. Even though he blocked, Naruto was forced back by the power. Hinata's eyes widened as cuts began to work their way through his clothing and to his skin. "No. Even like _this_, I'm useless. There _has_ to be something I can do to help." Realization came to Hinata's eyes. "That's right. I never once tried to use my Byakugan during a reaction. Perhaps I'll see something." As Ishuikon prepared his next close ranged attack, the ethereal Hinata raced through the hand-seals. Her final seal was the snake with the right index finger extended. "Byakugan." Regretfully, her vision didn't change at all.

Naruto yelped in pain and gripped the side of his head. Not expecting such a thing to happen, Ishuikon luckily didn't take advantage of the opening and instead attacked Naruto's right side. Like before, the blow sent him flying back. The sudden ache confused Naruto greatly. "What was~ that?"

"Naruto-kun, what's wrong?"

"I don't know. My chakra started acting weird and it gave me a headache. It's gone now though."

Hinata's expression became fearful. "Gomen, it's my fault. … Wait~ … was~ it my fault. If so, then how?"

**Kakashi vs. Honogurai:**

Honogurai backed away and stood between Kakashi and the cliff. "Our mission is complete. Now I must wait for Ishuikon-sama's aid. Until then, I must occupy Hatake's time. I cannot fail."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at Honogurai's defensive position. "I don't think that he wants me to try helping Naruto and Hinata up there." Kakashi looked over to the area of raised stone spires. "I doubt that he will let me help those two out either." He turned his attention back to his foe. "That just leaves me with the option of getting through him by force." Kakashi began to back away to the trees to his back.

Honogurai stepped forward with a worried expression. "I can't let him run away."

Kakashi stopped after noticing this behavior. "Looks like he doesn't want me to run away _either_. However much I would like to do so, I can't leave the others just so I can escape. I will need to find a different way."

Honogurai watched Kakashi run behind a tree and right back out. The jonin then started up some quick hand-seals. He circled around with a hand crackling loudly from a concentrated coat of lighting chakra. "He did not heed my warning." As soon as the Honogurai blocked the Chidori, Shindou's vibrations became even faster. He didn't even have to attack to deal out fatal damage.

**Kurenai vs. Zurui:**

Zurui laughed loudly at how well the fight was going for her. Not only could she produce more water whips, but each one was surrounded in a field that restricts metabolism, blood flow, and chakra flow simply by getting close enough. She was curious to find out how the woman she was fighting would die. "Will she suffer hypothermia or have a heart attack. Maybe the backed up chakra will explode. I could simply drown her too. So~ _many_ ways for her to die. Either way … it will be painful~."

Kurenai made sure to take deep breaths as she dodged the water in an effort to calm herself. "Now think. How can I get past her?" Kurenai's eyes widened when she noticed that her foe was breathing heavily.

Zurui dropped her water whips and stuck the tip of her sword into the ground for leverage. "What the? WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CHAKRA?!"

Kurenai had to keep in a deep sigh of relief. "It looks like all that gem did for you was increase how much power you could use. That increase in power increased the chakra cost too. In the end, you wasted too much on those attacks."

"Why you~." She smirked under the shadow of her hair. "Just kidding~." Six water whips shot out of the ground and wrapped around Kurenai's legs, arms, waist, and neck. "It's over … I win."

**Shino/Kiba vs. Sagesumi:**

Sagesumi glared down at Shino from slightly higher ground while taking in some deep breaths. "I can tell that all of you are nearly out of chakra. When my enemies are running out, the rate of absorption slows down. That's why I am feeling low myself right now. It's obvious with how hard you are breathing. If you just let me kill you, … you and your little buddy won't have to suffer anymore. It'll be quick."

Shino adjusted his glasses. "I have no privilege in determining Kiba's fate." With that sentence, Shino dashed for Sagesumi with kunai at the ready in both hands.

The woman gripped her sword tightly and held a flat side towards Shino. Just as he reached her, she slammed the weapon against him. She continued to push forward until he reached one of her pillars. "Your chakra won't last much longer like this." True to her words, Shino stopped struggling in just a few seconds. Sagesumi backed away and let the genin fall to the ground. Suikomu trembled in the air for a few seconds before Sagesumi took a deep breath. "Goodbye Shino Aburame." She took Suikomu and pierced straight through the prone boy.

**Sakura/Sasuke vs. Gouman:**

Sasuke's eyes widened when the flames disappeared and only a pile of his weapons could be found in the spot. "Where'd he go?"

"Genso Hirogeruken: River of Fire." He held his sword out and a stream of flames spewed forth.

Instead of leaping back like usual, Sasuke charged in head first. With his Sharingan activated, he had no trouble slipping past the flames. Sasuke dodged under a sword slash and started up his melee attacks. First was a direct punch to his face followed by another to the solar plexus. Sasuke leapt up with pushing off Gouman's shoulder for more height. This put Sasuke in a perfect position to land a damaging spinning kick. This forced Gouman to stumble back and fall. "You're not very strong without your ninjutsu. Your taijutsu is as bad as the dobe's."

Gouman's pupils and irises shrunk in his rage. "I'LL KILL YOU!" He began slashing wildly, which Sasuke had no trouble dodging. "Genso Hirogeruken: Burst."

Sasuke's eyes easily sighted the jutsu in time to perform a substitution jutsu. Luckily there was a tree close enough to go to. Unluckily, Sasuke only just then realized that the angle was so that the flames would obscure Gouman's and Sakura's positions. "SASUKE-KUN~!"

"Darn, I let him get by again." When the flames cleared, he could see Gouman holding Sakura tightly with his sword at her neck. "I can't do anything with him holding her like that."

Gouman laughed loudly. "HOW DO YOU LIKE THIS HOT-SHOT! NOW I CAN ATTACK ALL I WANT!" He leaned into Sakura's ear. "But first I need something to play with a bit to calm down. You'll~ be perfect." Her eyes widened in fear.

**Naruto/Hinata vs. Ishuikon.**

"Are you crazy Hinata-chan? That couldn't have been your fault. I just have … weird chakra."

"No Naruto-kun. There's a good chance that it was~ my fault. In fact, I'm hoping that it was."

"What are you talking about Hinata-chan?"

"He's coming." Feeling that Hinata had some kind of plan, Naruto put more effort into the defense. He worked much harder at blocking the onslaught of attacks. "I want you to pay close attention to your chakra Naruto-kun. I'll go slowly so you can recognize it."

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE PLANNING, BUT IT'S NOT ENOUGH!"

The ethereal Hinata used her hands to form the Ram hand-seal, causing Naruto's eyes to widen. "It's acting up again." She followed up with the Boar hand-seal. "Now it's doing something else." As Naruto knocked Ishuikon back for once, she formed the Ox seal. "Now it's feeling familiar." With the Dog seal, a smile grew upon his face. "_That's it _… I finally remember." She finished with the Snake hand-seal. With that done, Naruto charged in while preparing a wild swing.

"You fool." Ishuikon easily took advantage of the moment and used a quick slash to slice Naruto in half. "That's what you get for becoming desperate." His grey green eyes widened when a puff of smoke appeared and cleared to reveal a crate. He looked up to see the orange clad shinobi striking an imposing pose in the cart's wreckage despite his boyish face. "Since when did this brat have the chance to do the hand-seals for a Substitution Jutsu? He has only one hand." He refocused his vision to the back and noticed the family with the single clone guarding them. He smiled at this. "I can take them all out with one shot."

Naruto smiled. "So you can do hand-seals for me while I control the chakra. Can you try my best jutsu then?"

The ethereal Hinata smiled and nodded. "Hai. I never expected us to be able to do this." She lifted her hands and put her extended forefingers together in a cross shape.

"GENSO IGAMERUKEN: GREAT VORTEXES." One tornado for each of the four swirls along his blade shot forth with enough force to kill them all.

* * *

**I just can't stop sticking you guys with cliffhangers. At least this time I gave you enough clues to know what is about to happen. That's only with Naruto and Hinata though. There are hardly any, if any, clues at all for the other four fights. (There's a clue for Kakashi, but it's in the type of sentence normally skimmed over.) As some might be able to tell, the fights will end next chapter, but that also includes a small plot twist even I didn't see coming until four days ago. Till next time.**

**Next Chapter: The Fourth Song.**


	22. The Fourth Song: Chapter 22

Underlined speech is thought.

Italicized _words_ signify emphasis put on words or a change in tone_._

_Sentences of thought that are completely italicized were spoken by another character previously in this story's timeline._

_Italicized sections are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is **bolded,** it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is underlined, it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is (underlined), it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. Songs will not use quotation marks like normal speech._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING OR HIGH EMOTION.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: One by one, each of the Genso shinobi received one of the Nature gems. With the addition of this power, things became even bleaker for everyone. Kakashi regretted his lack of wind jutsu and then tried to attack Honogurai directly. Kurenai managed to escape capture only to be captured again. Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino resisted Sagesumi with their best, but his chakra loss rendered both unconscious. Sasuke managed to save Sakura, but his overconfidence gave Gouman the chance to capture her again. Naruto and Hinata had their own troubles, but still had the most luck as they seamed to discover something important.)

* * *

**12-6-09**

"**The Fourth Song"**

**Kakashi vs. Honogurai:**

Kakashi convulsed rapidly before suddenly bursting in a puff of smoke. Honogurai's eyes widened as he strained to gain control over the rapid vibrations of his weapon. "How? At the speed he was running, he couldn't have created a clone capable of taking his place in that single instant." Even with that doubt, Honogurai faced the tree Kakashi ran behind and charged for it. As soon as he passed it, he struck it with the blunt side of his weapon. He was shocked by the info he collected and turned to his right.

Yet another Chidori wielding Kakashi charged for Honogurai directly. Exactly like before the lightning jutsu was blocked and the clone destroyed. His eyes widened in fear when he noticed that the other one he noticed in the opposite direction closed in in less than half the time he expected. "Lightning Blade." Kakashi took his lighting coated palm and slammed it to his foe's side. From there, the chakra extended to the other side. Kakashi let his chakra fade and covered his eye. "It's over. If I didn't notice that he couldn't move his sword well after absorbing a Chidori, I would have never beaten him. Even so, I am almost out of chakra."

Tears fell from Honogurai's eyes as he met the ground. "I lived a lonely life most my life. I've had many bosses, many jobs, and many positions. But … this was the first time someone trusted me like this. To think that I would fail him. Gomen Ishuikon-sama."

Kakashi rolled the man over and used his hands to close his eyes. "To think, this is the second time I have to bury a man with his sword. I just hope I don't have to bury any comrades today." He jumped off to find out who needs him most. He decided that it was Naruto and Hinata by how small boulders were falling off the side of the cliff.

**Kurenai vs. Zurui:**

"I wonder how long she is going to live." Zurui's eyes widened when the scarlet jonin started to disappear in a swirl of sakura petals. "A genjutsu." Zurui let the water whips fall and created a chakra pulse that knocked out the genjutsu. With it gone, she noticed Kurenai coming in low with a kunai at the ready.

Kurenai saw Sokubaku coming, but was ready for it. It wasn't hard to redirect the light weapon's path with her kunai. "Now's my chance." Kurenai launched a punch with her free hand.

Zurui watched in glee as Kurenai's eyes widened when her fist was caught. She quickly followed with a knee into her gut and a spinning kick to send her flying. "Did you really think that I didn't know any taijutsu? Honestly, I didn't expect yours to be so bad. Genso Sokubaku, Binding Whips." Like before, four aqueous whips collected at the tip of her weapon and launched after Kurenai.

The jonin dodged and quickly started up some hand-seals. "Sakura Dispersal." Just as one of the whips struck her, she disappeared in another flurry of sakura petals.

Zurui looked around and couldn't find her foe. With that, she decided to release another chakra restricting pulse. After that, she noticed a growing shadow above her. She looked up and saw Kurenai bearing down with two kunai ready. Zurui's expression developed into one of rage. "I've had enough of this." With all her strength and speed, she sent her weapon into her foe's chest.

Her eyes widened when it turned out to be a Substitution Jutsu. "TAKE THIS!" She turned her attention to Kurenai standing up and launching eight kunai. Zurui quickly used the log attached to the tip of Sokubaku to block them. "I win."

Zurui's eyes widened when the fizzing of a paper bomb alerted her to the five that littered the front of the log she pierced. She tried to shake the log off, but the kunai Kurenai threw lodged the log more tightly onto Sokubaku as well as distracting her long enough. She had no time to think of a way to stop the explosion before she was sent flying by the blast and rolling across the ground. "You b-b-b." Her life quickly gave out.

Kurenai bent over as the adrenalin left her system. "It's a good thing I realized that in order for her to cancel out my genjutsu, she couldn't use her ninjutsu at the same time. The first time was just for confirmation. After that, I came up with this plan to defeat her." She then looked over to Sokubaku, which was damaged greatly. "Looks like I don't have to worry about dealing with that sword ever again. Now I just hope that I can get to the others in time."

**Shino/Kiba vs. Sagesumi:**

Sagesumi lifted Suikomu out of Shino's body and turned to the other genin. "That leaves only one. It's time to get this over with." Her eyes widened when streams of black surrounded her from behind. She only had time to blink before it all closed in. On reflex, she tried to sweep it all off, tossing her sword away in the process. This action proved futile as it would not come off. In a matter of moments, she fell due to sudden chakra loss. "What's … happening?" She looked up and saw Shino looking down on her. "What … is this? How … are you still standing?"

"I am Shino Aburame of the Aburame clan. We specialize in the use of special parasitic insects that feed upon chakra. In order for them to be capable of this diet, they require a digestive tract that is impermeable to chakra." His body turned into a black mass before the black layer fell off. "Normally I would form an Insect Clone in my visage, but alternatively I simply created a layer of insects over myself."

The every insect on her body left and returned to Shino. "I see~. … The reason I felt like you didn't have much chakra to give me was because your bugs were in the way." She tried to push up into a sitting position, but the chakra loss proved to be too much. "I never expected to be beaten so easily."

"It was not easy." Shino fell to his knees. "That's peculiar. My chakra reserves are still falling."

Sagesumi chuckled weakly. "Suikomu doesn't stop taking chakra just because I drop it. It just … stops discriminating."

Shino's eyes widened behind his glasses as he quickly directed his insects to reform his shell. "I must relocate Kiba."

**Sakura/Sasuke vs. Gouman:**

Sasuke looked upon the unexpected situation with a fearful expression. "I can't do anything. Someone is in trouble right in front of me, and I can't do a thing. I'm just as useless as the day _he~_ destroyed my clan. How can I still be this weak?"

Gouman took his free hand and started feeling along Sakura's body. It didn't take him long to move to her chest. "Not much here." He chuckled perversely. "No matter. As long as nothing is down here." His hand's position on her lowered.

"NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO. Not in front of Sasuke-kun. I can't be defiled like this." Only half a second passed before she snapped. "CHA~~~~~!" The sudden yell shocked Gouman. Acting in only rage, Sakura pushed his arms off of herself, turned around, kneed him where it hurts, punched him in the face, waited for him to fall to his back, and finally started stomping him with all her strength. The man fell to unconsciousness in a single second.

Sasuke couldn't believe his Sharingan. He could now be witnessing the most powerful attack in the world … but he wouldn't even use it on his brother. He was certain of only one thing about this attack; and that was that any male victim would never have children.

**Naruto/Hinata vs. Ishuikon:**

As Hinata formed the hand-seal, Naruto focused his chakra. "Shadow Clone Jutsu." Four copies appeared at their sides in a defensive position.

Ishuikon's eyes widened when the winds of his attack suddenly dispersed, kicking up large amounts of dust in the process. When the dust cleared, Ishuikon's confidence from before faded a bit. "This could be trouble."

Now able to use his favorite jutsu right now, Naruto's change in confidence contrasted Ishuikon's. "This is great Hinata-chan. Now we can win this fight and save them."

"Hai~. Why do I feel so tired suddenly? … No, I have to hold it together."

The two on the sides ran forward, counting for Naruto's first real offensive since Ishuikon received his gem. He tried to bat away the first one, but he barely had time to defend against the other. Now pressed for time, he couldn't afford to put the same kind of power behind his attacks as before. He was forced to the defensive when a third clone joined the fight. "That's enough." He jumped up and flipped over the attacker from behind. He took this chance to slice the clone's back, reducing it to a puff of smoke.

When it disappeared, the two on standby processed the memories of the ethereal Hinata directing the Naruto when to attack. Because each Naruto and Hinata can see the other Hinata, this allowed nonverbal cues that couldn't be seen by others. Since Naruto could also feel the ethereal Hinata's touch, she was able to direct his attacks with great precision. The other clone joined the fight.

Just as Ishuikon got behind another clone, the Naruto was directed to duck under the attack and struck Ishuikon with the long extension sticking out past his elbow. Ishuikon fought off the piercing pain and trusted towards the clone, only for his attack to be redirected by another clone. The one he tried to attack preformed an upward slash, catching his blade in one of the swirls of Igameru. The other one used a downward swing and got caught in another swirl.

With half of the swirls caught, Ishuikon found it impossible to pull away. He opted to instead pull out an extra kunai and take out the clone that performed the downward slash. He then dropped the kunai and started to force the other down. The final clone charged in as the other let Igameru destroy it. Not even a fraction of a second before the two swords connected with the full speed and kinetic force they had. Although one of the swirls was shattered by this force, Ishuikon was able to destroy the last clone.

As the final bit of experience returned to the pair, they both smiled. "This is going perfectly Hinata-chan. Let's go."

"Hai, it is." He stopped when he felt her hand on his shoulder. "Sing with me Naruto-kun."

"I'll kill them all~." Ishuikon began to build up his chakra.

_Messengers of the wind who serve me  
Hidden within the darkness before the break of dawn  
__Gather before you and quickly awaken the soul  
As dawn slowly (approaches)  
Let us put our dreams together against the hazy moon  
Now we two are one, joined in the darkness of the night  
Lit by moonbeams and strengthened by dreams_

"GENSO IGAMERUKEN: STORM'S FISSURE!" He brought Igameru down, unleashing a thin swirling mass of wind that tore through the ground below.

With the speed of the song, he was able to perform his own downward slash right into the attack. He only fought for dominance for half a second. "NOTUS CODE!" A massive wall of wind shot forth and split Ishuikon's clear in half while causing enough of a disturbance to send small boulders down the cliff side. Ishuikon prepared to block the attack, but he was sent flying the instant it hit. The wind continued to push him until his back slammed against and through the jagged area of earth that was formed when he helped knock Kiba and Shino off of the cliff.

Feeling that the battle was over and that they couldn't do any more, the two canceled their reaction. Hinata passed out then and there, forcing Naruto to catch her. He slowly lowered himself into a crossed legs sitting position. The clone protecting the family disappeared, giving him a full third-person view of the entire fight. He developed a full sized smile. "We were awesome." He fell back and into dreamland with Hinata's head resting on his chest.

Kakashi appeared right at this moment. "And I was worried over nothing. I'm thinking that their dead and they're just asleep." He smiled under his mask. "You two did well." He looked up and saw a fairly injured Kurenai running up to him. He gave her a two finger salute. "Yo."

She ignored them and turned her attention to the sleeping genin before letting out a long sigh. "Good, they are just sleeping." She looked up at Kakashi. "What about the others."

Kakashi turned his attention towards two approaching genin and their tied up prisoner. Kakashi took special notice of the overbearing demonic aura behind the outraged expression on Sakura's face. Even though it was all focused upon their prisoner, it was enough to scare Sasuke into being a bit stiff. "All of my genin are fine. That just leaves yours Kurenai. They should be down the cliff." He disappeared in a swirl of smoke with Kurenai in tow.

**At the bottom of the cliff:**

"Why did you save me? You should have just let Suikomu take the rest of my chakra."

Shino adjusted his glasses. "Your death would have solved nothing. I desire an inquisition."

"I've got nothing really big to tell you. Like nearly everyone else, I was adopted into the Genso clan by the only remaining member, Ishuikon-sama. He told us that the Genso were a freelance clan that remained mobile and independent. As members died in the wars, the nature gems were lost to some random thieves. That's all they could get because the swords need an input of the wielders chakra within five seconds of being grabbed or there will be backlash. After things got out of hand, the only child and the swords were hidden in a cave during one last settlement raid by Kiri. That's all I was told."

"However interesting, that lacked any relevance to my own inquiry. I noticed that your hands shuddered and your eyes shut taut. It appears that you abhor the act of taking another's life."

She glared at him. "Where'd you get that crazy idea?"

"Perhaps I'd be more precise in stating that you abhor killing the defenseless." Her silence was all the answer he needed. "Despite your appearance, your mentality is substantially innocent."

She snapped at him. "WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?! I'M ONLY FOURTEEN! YOU'RE LUCKY THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIVE LIKE A MISSING-NIN!" She fell over as Shino was still using an undetectable number of insects to keep her chakra levels low.

Kakashi picked this time to make his presence known. "This is the second time something like this has happened recently. The only real difference is that the first was a boy who could pass for a girl, while this one is a girl who _defines _the word tomboy. If Naruto and Hinata have done one thing, they've made things interesting." He looked down at the girl. "I think she needs a chance to sleep on this." He quickly used the same simple genjutsu he remembered using on Sakura during the genin test on Sagesumi to put her to sleep.

Shino adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat. "I will carry Akamaru."

Kurenai took easy notice of this. "It's unusual for anything to surprise Shino _that_ much. I'll take Kiba. That just leaves her for you Kakashi."

Kakashi narrowed his eye as Kurenai slung Kiba over her shoulder. "I feel so~ special." He bent down and picked Sagesumi up. He looked down at her seriously. "Other shinobi are much easier to deal with when you don't know much about them. This one could be a classic case of a decent person in a bad situation."

After a number of hours, the group was able to repair the family's cart enough so that it could get them to their destination. Both of the living males of the Genso group couldn't walk; but for different reasons. Ishuikon couldn't walk because of how hard he was hit in the spine. Damage to the back of his head made it hard for him to coordinate precise hand movements or even talk properly. He was lucky to be alive, but these difficulties along with a tendency to lose consciousness meant that his life as an independent person was over. Gouman couldn't walk because Sakura was just that pissed. He started up some crazed rants, leading the jonin to _dose_ him with something to make sure that he doesn't say anything that is too much for the numerous underaged members of the group. This made containing and transporting both a non issue after putting them on a simple cart being pulled by a large bull-dog summoned by Kakashi. As for Sagesumi, she simply remained silent and compliant during the remainder of trip.

Hinata walked up to her sensei with a worried expression as they traveled through the large city heading somewhere to drop off the people they captured. "Is there something we can do about Sagesumi-san? I don't think that she's a bad person."

Kurenai let out a sigh. "Only Hinata could forgive someone who has tried to kill her once. It's quite remarkable that she can already see that shinobi work usually isn't personal. Look, it's not really up to us. She may be young, despite being nearly as tall as I am, but she still lives like a shinobi. She also was part of the attack on our clients. It's really up to them what is done with her."

"NEE-TAN~!" Hinata looked over to the cute Kawayui who was on the repaired cart with Naruto. "COME PWAY WITH US!" Hinata smiled and went up to them, silently wondering why the family hasn't said anything to herself and Naruto about how they reacted yet.

They soon arrived at a special building that deals with the incarceration of rouge or dangerous shinobi. Chahoya sighed and turned to Kakashi. "This is where we part. This has been an … eventful trip, but a good learning experience. You can bet that I will be more careful in the future. I can't jeopardize my family again like that. Also, I would like you to decide what to do with those three. The men obviously should be put away, but I'm not sure about that girl. She may have been responsible for my arm, but I still can't ignore her age and how helpless she looks. I'm sure that you have more experience with people like her, so I was hoping that you would make the better decision."

Kakashi nodded behind his book. "I have had many clients before, and I have to say that you are one of my favorites. If you ever find yourself in Konoha again, stop by a ramen stand called Ichiraku. There'll be a good chance you'll find at least Naruto there. We should get together and have a drink."

"That sounds good. I'll be looking forward to it." He looked over to his daughter. "I'm not looking forward to leaving though. This will be the first time I had to deny my dear daughter something like this." Cascading tears started to fall down his cheeks causing Kakashi to laugh nervously.

**Minutes later:**

As expected, Kawayui stirred up a fuss over leaving. Luckily, her mother was able to explain that Naruto and Hinata had to go home. Kiba made jokes on how the two would make a great father and mother, which the clueless blond thought seriously about and directly asked Hinata about. She fainted of course, giving Kiba something to laugh even more about. Because of this cluelessness, his sensei decided to have a detailed talk with him after they returned to Konoha. For the moment, Kakashi left the building after dropping off two of their prisoners. He rubbed the back of his head nervously while looking at the third one. "I can't imagine a way to say this without it being awkward."

Luckily for him, she decided to finally say something. "So you're just going to lock me away like those two."

"To be honest, that is up to you."

* * *

**I could write all that mushy stuff, but I'll just skip that in favor of moving on to the chunin exams. I'm sure that everyone has a good idea of what just happened. Of course, not everyone will be happy about it. (Mostly Kiba and Naruto.)**

**Next Chapter: Transition.**


	23. Transition: Chapter 23

Underlined speech is thought.

Italicized _words_ signify emphasis put on words or a change in tone_._

_Sentences of thought that are completely italicized were spoken by another character previously in this story's timeline._

_Italicized sections are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is **bolded,** it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is underlined, it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is (underlined), it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. Songs will not use quotation marks like normal speech._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING OR HIGH EMOTION.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: Kakashi was able to defeat Honogurai by occupying him with clones. Zurui was defeated because she couldn't cancel genjutsu and attack with ninjutsu at the same times. Sagesumi lost to the specialized skills of Shino. Gouman just pissed Sakura off too much. Ishuikon lost to the precisely coordinated attacks of the Shadow Clones and the fourth song. Once all the fights were over, they picked up the pieces and continued the trip with three less than willing additions. The family left after reaching somewhere to drop those three off, leaving Kakashi to decide what to do.)

* * *

**I changed the title again. This one better fits the genin switching teams and Sagesumi being introduced to the new life in Konoha. (Like you all didn't see that coming.)**

**12-20-09**

"**Transition"**

For the umpteenth time, Kakashi rubbed the back of his head while wondering what he let this mission turn into. It was supposed to be a chance to see what the compatibility of the genin was so they could change the teams seamlessly. He shifted his gaze to Naruto and Hinata. "Ever since all that battle tension disappeared, those two have had trouble getting too close. I doubt the talk I plan to have with Naruto will make things any less complicated for them. They are already having trouble talking about the recent developments." He turned his eye to the complication for this mission. "This one has been a nervous wreck the entire time. I guess that I don't blame her. It's not everyday that rouge shinobi are given chances like this. It's hard to know how things will turn out." He looked up to the gates of the village. "This will at the very least be interesting."

It didn't take the group long to reach the Hokage's tower. The jonin asked their genin to wait outside of the door under the pretense of adult issues. Only their guest joined them. The elderly man's eyes quickly focused on the unfamiliar third member. She looked like a young woman wearing simple and practical clothing. She also had a large weapon on her back. "Great, more~ paper work. I should ask about the main goal first. Have you two decided which members should be switched out?"

Kakashi nodded. "We have. It seems that after seeing the way that Naruto and Hinata can work together, both of Hinata's teammates decided that she would be better off if she was on the same team as him. They decided on their own that Kiba should switch places with Naruto. They even came up with the reason that their similarities in personality will mean little change in team dynamics along with the fact that I summon ninja hounds."

Hiruzen smiled. "The children of our world are growing up faster and faster. That was a very well informed decision they made." He focused on the unfamiliar person with them. "Who would _this_ woman be?"

"Her name is Sagesumi and she is fourteen."

The Hokage looked over the girl for a few seconds. "I repeat myself. The children of our world are growing up faster and faster." He noticed how she was focused on maintaining a fixed expression. "There is no need to be so restrained with me. As the Hokage of _this_ village, I have to learn how to deal with all kinds~ of unique personalities. That includes the rebellious teenagers."

Sagesumi's eyes widened. "Did he just tell me that I can talk freely?"

Hiruzen chuckled at her bewildered expression. "I am guessing that this girl is proof that the mission had some unexpected complications. I would like a full explanation, but not now. Just tell me if it is asylum or citizenship for now."

The jonin spoke simultaneously. "Citizenship."

"That is simple enough. I will come up with an _official_ reason for you two finding an unaffiliated kunoichi. I expect the unofficial truth later."

The two bowed. "Understood Hokage-sama." Kakashi reached over and placed the payment for the mission upon the Hokage's desk, which he took and pocketed.

"I thank you for your work. You should tell the genin that they should go for something to eat before they return. It would also be a good chance for Sagesumi-chan to see the village."

"That is a good idea Hokage-sama, but I think it best that we let the children go ahead as we get the explanations out of the way while they are still fresh in our minds." He turned to the teenager. "Will you excuse us Sagesumi-san."

She paused for a second. "Hai." She bowed stiffly and walked out.

Hiruzen smiled. "She might take a while to get used to living here. Let's start with her real story."

Sagesumi walked out of the room and looked at the group of genin. Shino walked right up to her, which was enough for her to answer. "They said that we should go eat so I can see the village."

Naruto reacted instantly. "YAHOO, LET'S GO TO ICHIRAKU!"

Sagesumi noticed that his his teammates' eyes rolled and Hinata chuckled. "Something tells me that this is usual behavior for him." As the large group left the building, they made their way with Naruto in the lead. "I have never been in a village as large as this. Ishuikon always wanted to stay away from heavily populated areas." She noticed a building with Ichiraku Ramen written overhead. "Great~, I hate ramen." She shrugged her shoulders. "This once won't kill me."

**Back in the Hokage's tower.**

Hiruzen let out a sigh. "Sometimes I wonder why the world has to work in this way. Children shouldn't be forced into these situations just to survive. It may take her some time to adjust."

Kakashi nodded. "All that's left now is the switch up. I would like to give Naruto a lesson before that happens."

"And what lesson would that be."

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head. "I noticed that Naruto seems to be a bit ignorant when it comes to the birds and the bees. I am going to give him a little talk."

Kurenai glared at him. "Oh no you won't. The last thing Naruto needs is a book reading pervert poisoning his mind. I'll be his new sensei, so I~ will take care of it."

"No offense Kurenai, but I don't think that a woman can give him an accurate male's perspective."

"Ha … last I~ checked, men where pretty simple inside and out. You're really not that hard to figure out."

"ENOUGH!" They both shut up and faced the Hokage. "You both will talk to Naruto. It is a good chance for him to get used to his new sensei. I advise doing this tonight because the switch will be official by tomorrow. You are dismissed." The pair disappeared, leaving the Hokage to his thoughts. "Now I have to worry about the upcoming Chunin Exams."

The two jonin didn't have much trouble finding the group with Kakashi leading the search. "WHAT DID YOU SAY~!? RAMEN IS THE GREATEST FOOD IN THE WORLD!"

"Not everyone~ has to like what you like. I prefer the taste of bean paste and dango."

A large sweat-drop formed on Kurenai. "She could get along well with Anko. I'm a bit scared thinking about it."

Kakashi leaned in and noticed their guest sitting next to Sakura and looking a lot more comfortable than earlier. He knew that Sagesumi was stuck between respecting Sakura and thinking that she's an idiot. Teuchi smiled at her. "Perhaps you have only had ramen from an instant cup. I promise that my~ ramen can't be compared."

Kakashi chuckled. "I can't see her being good friends with Naruto. She's on the fence with Sakura considering what she did to that Gouman fellow." He turned to Kiba and Shino. "Good news you two. Hokage-sama has taken your opinions in for consideration."

Hinata looked at them curiously. "Wh-what does he mean?"

Kiba smiled widely. "We talked to Kakashi-sensei and Kurenai-sensei about how I should switch places with the blond wonder here."

Said wonder spit his broth over Ayane's apron. She glared at him, causing his hand to reach to the back of his head. "Gomen Ayane-nee."

She sighed. "Avoid doing it again." She turned to Hinata and winked.

The Hyuga blushed in response. "Is it really that obvious?" She faced Kurenai after quickly banashing that thought. "I-i-is this tr-true?"

"Hai, it is. We have talked to Hokage-sama and he decided that it would be in both of your interests and the village's if the you two were teamed up. With what we have told him, it's unlikely that the both of you won't be joined in a mission for a long time."

Sasuke glared at the two. "Why is the dobe getting this special treatment?" He turned his attention to his food. "It doesn't matter. That loser needs all the help he can get. Also, I have a stronger sensei than him this way."

Sakura frowned a bit. "It sounds like the lesser of two evils to me. Kiba may not smell much better, but at least he won't bother me or complain as much. Now he can spend his time bothering Hinata, though she may consider that a good thing."

Sagesumi looked on with curiosity. "So those two really are~ going to be on the same team now. Perhaps this will give me a chance to see just how they were able to defeat a stronger Ishuikon-sama when they didn't stand a chance against me. All I can figure is that they do something special when together. Whatever that is, it must be powerful."

She flinched away when Kakashi leaned in next to her. "By the way Sagesumi-san, what are your plans in terms of lodging. If I'm not mistaken, you haven't a yen to your name. Where do you plan to stay."

Her eyes widened. "He's right. I have no way of getting a place to stay."

Shino adjusted his glasses and looked right at her. "My clan compound is more than spacious enough to accommodate the entirety of my clan."

Kiba smirked. "What are you talking about Shino. Last I checked, you aren't the only one here from a powerful clan. My place isn't anything to sniff at either. As for Hinata-chan, you could get lost there."

Hinata blushed. "Kiba-kun~, th-that's embarrassing."

Sagesumi looked on with a blank expression. "So all three of you are from a large clan and are the same age. Did your parents get together and decide that the women should have their babies that year."

Hinata developed a full faced blush as all the other faces developed white circles for eyes except for Shino. He looked down curiously. "That is a possibility considering that with the inclusion of Sasuke-san, Shikamaru-san, Ino-san, and Choji-san among our ranks, there are seven who act as the forthcoming heir of their clan."

Suddenly Sasuke stood up, knocking over his stool. "I'm leaving."

Kakashi watched him walk away. "That makes since considering that it was his older brother that was supposed to be the clan leader. I doubt that he liked this conversation very much."

Sakura stood up and chased after him. Sagesumi shook her head at this. "I have to talk to that girl."

"Hey, how~ do~ women have babies?"

Everyone looked at Naruto with the same white circle eyes as before. Kiba quickly fell over laughing. "I KNEW IT! THE INFAMOUS CREATOR OF THE SEXY JUTSU DOESN'T EVEN KNOW HOW BABIES ARE MADE!"

"IT'S NOT MY~ FAULT! WHY DO YOU ALL KNOW?!"

Kakashi placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "For Shino and Kiba, they come from clans that raise animals as fighting partners. Since reproduction hasn't changed too much across species, it didn't take them long to put two and two together. Hinata comes from a clan steeped in tradition, so they don't want any _mistakes._ She has to be informed to make informed decisions. As for Sagesumi-san, she likely _had_ to learn young." He placed the other hand on the other shoulder. "Now I think it's time for you to learn."

He griped tightly and pulled Naruto away. Why he was being pulled away quickly left his mind as he realized that he hasn't finished his newest bowl of ramen. Tears began to flow out of his eyes. "WAIT~~, MY RAMEN~!"

Kurenai sighed and shook her head. "I am going to tag along and make sure that Naruto isn't given any tainted knowledge." She walked away calmly.

Sagesumi looked on with a confused expression. "Is it always this lively in this village?"

Teuchi laughed. "I don't know about everyone else, but that's sure true for Naruto-kun. He just has that effect on those around him."

As they continued their conversation, Hinata found herself trapped inside of her mind. "Naruto-kun never knew about that. Now Kakashi-sensei and Kurenai-sensei are teaching him. We're also on the same team now." Her mind batted this around until she began to develop a number of less than pure thoughts and images. She lost consciousness and fell back, hitting her head on the ground.

They all looked at her. Sagesumi gave her an exasperated glare. "What's with the girls of this village. One is a hopeless fan-girl while this one can't even _think_ about baby making without passing out. Something tells me that these girls needed me to come here." She got off her seat and picked Hinata up. "I decided that I'm staying at this girl's place. I'm sure I can get a room from this ridiculously naïve girl. Just tell me where to go."

"It is North East of here."

"Thanks Shino." Sagesumi quickly left.

After a few seconds, Kiba smirked. "Hey~, no honorific. I think she likes~ you Shino." He responded by not doing anything. "Humph, you're not as fun as Hinata-chan."

"I don't intend to be."

**The next day, Team 8's training ground:**

Naruto stumbled towards his new destination. The lessons from the day before were all he could think about. His heart was beating like crazy at the thought of simply looking at Hinata. He realized that whoever said that ignorance is bliss probably had something. He hardly even noticed that not only were his new teammates on time, so was his new sensei. "I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE IN LOVE DO~! WAS THAT WHAT HINATA-CHAN WAS THINKING ABOUT ALL THIS TIME?! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT~!" He looked at Hinata for a moment before looking down with a massive blush across his face. "I think I understand why she faints so much."

Kurenai walked up to him and looked directly into his eyes. "I know that you are embarrassed about yesterday, but we don't have the time for that. Since you are a new member in this team, we will all have to learn how work together. You'll have to restrain your thoughts for now."

"YOU'RE PARTLY TO BLAME!" He suddenly developed a big smile before he began to hop up and down. "I FINALLY HAVE A SENSEI THAT ISN'T ALWAYS LATE~!"

Kurenai chuckled. "He can really change on the flip of a coin. I may learn quite a few things with him. I am going to do my best to bring out his potential."

For eight days, Kurenai focused on making her team go through numerous teamwork exercises. She wanted to make sure that they would be able to work together well even with the boundless amounts of attraction based anxiety going on between two of the members. As the spent a day off together, Kurenai found herself making one of her toughest decisions ever. "I Kurenai Yuhi, the leader of Team Eight, recommend Shino Aburame, Hinata Hyuga, and Naruto Uzumaki for participation in the Chunin Exams."

Not one to be upstaged out, Kakashi joined in. "I Kakashi Hatake, team leader for Team Seven, recommend Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and Kiba Inuzuka for participation in the Chunin Exams." Everyone looked on with confused expressions. With the addition of Azuma Sarutobi, three well known jonin were recommending fresh out of the gate genin for the Chunin Exams. Not only that, two of the teams have recently had a change in roster, meaning that they will have a different chemistry that they wouldn't be used to. It would be an insane thing to propose without the recent change.

Iruka easily agreed with this thought. "Hold on here. I had each of those genin as my students. They aren't ready for something like this. People have died in these kinds of situations."

Kakashi narrowed his eye. "You _had~_ them has your students. They are out students now."

"Bu-but."

"Silence Iruka. I agree with Kakashi on this one. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio is known for great success. The other six have participated in a mission that escalated to A-ranked difficulty. Four of the six have another mission like that under their belt. Anyone in their right minds would believe that they can handle the Chunin Exams. This issue is settled. "Teams 7, 8, and 10 will be participating in the Chunin Exams being held in a week from now."

* * *

**I can't say that I have much to say for this chapter.**

**Next Chapter: The Chunin Exams.**


	24. The Chunin Exams: Chapter 24

Underlined speech is thought.

Italicized _words_ signify emphasis put on words or a change in tone_._

_Sentences of thought that are completely italicized were spoken by another character previously in this story's timeline._

_Italicized sections are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is __**bolded,**__ it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is __underlined,__ it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is __(__underlined__)__, it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. Songs will not use quotation marks like normal speech._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING OR HIGH EMOTION.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: Just after arriving in the village, Kakashi and Kurenai took Sagesumi to meet with Hiruzen as the genin were left outside. For the time that Sagesumi was in the room, they kept things brief. When she was sent out to eat with the genin, the jonin finished the full explanation. A short time later, the jonin informed their genin that Kiba and Naruto will be switching places in the teams. The following days were spent performing teamwork exercises. This is all to prepare them for their recommendation for the Chunin exams.)

* * *

**I am sorry for the week long hiatus. For those following my other story, it turns out that my computer really wasn't fixed. Now it's being repaired for real. Since waiting would make me late by another week or two, I decided to use my college's computer lab as a new place to do my writing. I hope nothing like this happens anymore. On the plus side, this could be one of the better chapters. Hinata gets some serious character development towards the end.**

**1-10-10**

"**The Chunin Exams"**

Given the day off, Naruto, Hinata, and Shino decided to spend it together. Naruto and Hinata were still a little nervous with each other and Shino was just being Shino. This made for a silent walk. They soon stopped at the sound of a rustling box behind them. They turned around and saw exactly that. It also had rocks painted on it. Naruto's eyelids lowered in both annoyance and recognition. "I know that's you Konohamaru. What kinds of rocks are square~ like that?"

Chuckling could be heard inside. "Just what I'd expect from my greatest rival." The box exploded in three colored plumes of smoke.

Three children started coughing. "We put in too much gunpowder again."

"He's right Konohamaru-kun~~."

"Quiet guys. This is when we make our entrance."

The three jumped out and positioned themselves in flashy poses. They introduced themselves from back to front. "I am Udon; I like math."

"I am Moegi, the sexiest kunoichi in preschool."

"And I am Konohamaru, the next Hokage."

Naruto leaned in to Konohamaru's ears. "Beat it. I am trying to hang out with my teammates."

The kid looked at them and noticed the one with white eyes before holding up his pinky and whispered into Naruto's ear. "Who's the Hyuga girl? Is she your girlfriend?" Naruto's eyes widened as he flew upright. Konohamaru pointed in glee. "I WAS RIGHT!"

Naruto quickly switched gears. "GET OVER HERE!"

"Uh oh." Konohamaru slipped past Naruto's lunge and began to run away at full speed. He turned around to keep watch over his pursuer.

Because of this, he missed seeing the person he bumped into. The guy wore a black full body jumpsuit with a yellow and purple marking on the front with purple war paint on his face. He bent down and picked Konohamaru by the back of his outfit. "Watch where you are going you little punk. You can make some dangerous people angry doing stuff like that."

Konohamaru developed some tears. "HEY, YOU; LET KONOHAMARU GO!"

He slowly looked over. "Eh~. Not another brat."

A girl with four short blond ponytails placed a hand on the other's shoulder. "This isn't the place for this."

"I don't care. If there's one thing I hate more than a brat who can't keep shut is one who shoots his mouth _off_. It makes me want to hit something."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Suit yourself."

As the boy pulled his fist back, Naruto charged. "JUMP AT HIM!" Naruto jumped at hearing this advice, much to the surprise of the boy and his female companion.

This allowed Naruto to land a clean punch on the boys face, forcing him to drop Konohamaru. The young genin in training scampered off to Naruto's teammates. "How do you like that?"

He heard Hinata gasp, causing him to turn around. He then noticed her looking up at a tree. More specifically, a boy with red hair, the kanji for love written on his forehead in blood red, and a massive gourd on his back. "That is enough Kankuro. Stand down."

"But." The one now dubbed Kankuro flinched back at only a slight narrowing of the other boy's eyes. He then averted his eyes. "This is why I hate brats."

The redheaded boy disappeared in a swirl of sand before reappearing in front of the other two. Shino stepped forward with strong intent. "I am Shino Aburame. What is your name?"

He narrowed his eyes slightly. "I am Gaara of the Desert." His eyes turned to Hinata. "Not only did this one detect Kankuro's chakra thread in time to warn the other, she detected me the instant I appeared. What is your name girl?" Hinata flinched back in fear. In the next instant, Naruto stood between Gaara and Hinata. His black ringed eyes widened at the pure yet unfamiliar glare Naruto was giving him. "Those eyes~; what do they mean?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly. "Back off."

Not wanting to wrestle with his thoughts any longer, Gaara turned away. "Let's go."

The other two followed with little hesitation. The girl turned back to look at the still unnamed boy and girl. "I feel a bit of pity for those two. It's not smart to get Gaara riled up like that."

As the seconds passed, Konohamaru and his friends looked up at Naruto with stars in their eyes. "You're so cool~."

He watched those three leave before turning towards the three children and smiling boastfully. "I did~ look pretty cool back there, didn't I?"

"Even I have to admit that you did." They all turned to the newly familiar voice.

"Did you pay witness to this encounter Sagesumi-san?"

"Hai. I was just stretching my legs after finding my own place to stay and happened to pass by. It's hard to believe that you have only been an actual team for little more than a week." She walked up to Naruto. "You know~, you actually looked a bit handsome back there. I wonder if I can get you to do that for me~."

As Naruto flinched back a bit, Konohamaru looked up at Sagesumi. "Are you a pedophile?"

Her face twitched in restrained anger as she bent down to look at the kid. "For your~ information, I am only fourteen years old."

Realizing that this person wasn't going to hit him, Konohamaru stood straight up. "You're a giant."

She stood up and looked towards Team Eight. "Who is~ this brat and who taught him his manners?"

"He is Konohamaru Sarutobi, the acting Hokage's grandson."

Her eyes widened as she turned towards the kid. "This little brat is that man's grandson."

Naruto chuckled. "I know what you are thinking. How can such an old man have such a little grandson?"

Sagesumi looked at him warily. "This is some scary intuition Naruto has. Are you sure you should be talking about Hokage-sama that way."

Konohamaru rubbed under his nose. "That's nothing. He once said that he didn't care if gramps was my grandmother right in front of him."

"Forget about his intuition. It's scary what he can get away with."

Naruto smacked Konohamaru across the head. "Don't forget that I hit you."

"Now he's bragging about it."

Konohamaru looked up while covering his bump. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"

"Don't think that I forgot what I was chasing you for. That is for what you said earlier."

Sagesumi watched the banter with a blank expression. "I am starting to think that Konohamaru didn't learn his manners from his family, but from _this_ idiot. Thanks to him, my little plan to try and make that wallflower jealous enough to do something petered out completely. I am going back to Hinata-san's compound to pick up my stuff. Trying to help others out has already turned out to be exhausting, and yet that just makes me want to try harder." She let out a sigh. "I never would have thought that I would turn out like one of those annoying persistent helper types."

Shino watched Sagesumi leave before turning towards his teammates. "I surmise that it would be best for us to return to our individual abodes. This ordeal must have tired us all."

"Sh-Shino-kun's right N-Naruto-kun."

Naruto looked at them in confusion. "Hm~~. Alright guys. I guess that I'll see you tomorrow."

The two nodded before turning away. As she left, she could hear the sound of Konohamaru asking Naruto to 'play shinobi games with them.' Hinata would have normally chuckled at this, but she was too trapped in her thoughts. "I have never had one person scare me like that in my life. Gaara-san's chakra reserves and skill are far beyond his age. If I couldn't detect chakra when it is molded, I would have never noticed him. Naruto-kun may still have more chakra, but I get the feeling that Gaara-san knows how to use his chakra better. There is _something else_ about him that just scares me."

**The Next Morning:**

Naruto, Hinata, and Shino arrived at their training ground a couple hours later than they would usually as instructed by their sensei. They only had to wait a few minutes for Kurenai to appear. "I am sorry that I am late. There were some papers that I had to attend to that turned out to take a little longer than expected."

"W-what papers Kurenai-s-sensei?"

"They were documents that I had to read over and sign so that you three can participate in the up and coming Chunin Exams."

Hinata's eyes widened. "Chunin Exams."

"DOES THIS MEAN WE GET TO BE CHUNIN NOW?!"

"Calm down Naruto. You can only be a chunin if you manage to _pass_ these exams. Participating and passing these exams is up to each of you. I won't be able to help any of you at all. These exams are dangerous so I want all of you to be completely sure of this decision before you sign those papers and turn them in. If you decide to participate, go to Room 305 in the academy and hand those over. If not, then you simply have another day off. You should all spend today thinking about this decision since you have to turn those in tomorrow." Kurenai disappeared in a swirl of smoke.

With the passing of a few seconds, Naruto smiled widely. "Shadow Clone Jutsu." By using the clone's back, he had no hesitation in signing the small slip of paper. "TIME TO BECOME A CHUNIN!"

"You should act with less haste Naruto. It is likely that we will encounter those Suna Shinobi in these exams. My senses tell me that they are very dangerous."

Too nervous to speak out against Naruto, Hinata kept her thoughts to herself. "Shino-kun's right Naruto-kun. Those three are dangerous."

"So what. Even _if_ they are all that, there's nothing we can't handle as a team. We're passing these exams together."

Shino paused before nodding. "It is difficult to oppose your enthusiasm Naruto. I too shall participate."

Hinata flinched back a bit at Naruto looking directly at her. She quickly regained her footing and nodded. "H-hai, we w-will do th-this to-together."

Naruto smiled widely and pumped his fists into the air. "WATCH OUT CHUNIN EXAMS! HERE COMES TEAM EIGHT!"

**Hours later:**

Hinata returned to the training grounds with a somber expression. "I know that I agreed to take the exams with my teammates, but I'm scared. I know that we will be forced to fight, but what if we have to kill. What if we get killed. I don't think that I can handle that. I don't want any of my friends getting hurt either." She gripped the sides of her head tightly. "What do I do~?" She suddenly noticed the sound of rustling leaves behind her. This was in time to avoid some shuriken that would have hit her abdomen.

She looked up and saw an unknown shinobi wearing a large straw hat and thick dark clothing that covered the entire body. He crouched down and glared at Hinata. "You did well to dodge that one little girl. Maybe you aren't as pathetic as you look." He chuckled darkly. "That's not saying much though."

It took a second, but Hinata stood straight and looked directly at the unfamiliar man. "Wh-who are y-you?"

"Oh~~ … she does~ speak; but that voice is so meek. Are you sure you're supposed to be wearing that headband. It looks to me that a girl like you becoming a shinobi was just a mistake; a cosmic joke if you will. I could fall from this tree in laughter if I couldn't control myself." Through the harshness of his words, tears began to form. "I doubt you would even be this far if it wasn't for your teammates. You are just a poor girl with a broken leg while those two have to bear your weight. They're nothing but crutches to you. You'll keep getting heavier and heavier until they finally shatter under the weight of your weakness. They'd be better off without you. That's just as well, because the Chunin Exams are a dangerous place. Having to tote around dead weight will only get those two killed." In the process of trying to back away from this man's words, Hinata fell down. He laughed loudly. "It appears that I'm right. You can't even stand without them around. What a useless girl you are."

Hinata tried to back away. As she did so, she felt something with her right hand. Her eyes widened when a short inspection revealed that it was five small holes in the ground. She inserted each of her fingers and found that they fit perfectly.

**Flashback:**

Kurenai looked on at her team, whose feet were all tied together with Hinata in the center. "This is your final teamwork exercise. I want you three to be able to anticipate the movements of the other two until you are no longer tripping over yourselves."

In his enthusiasm, Naruto decided to start off. "Let's show her what we can do guys." As Kurenai expected, Hinata and Shino were quickly brought down by his actions.

Hinata's eyes widened as she began to fall right on top of Naruto. She managed to stop herself from landing on him, but she dug her fingers into the ground in shock. It was only that pain that kept her from fainting on top of him. The training was put on hold for Hinata to wash her hand clean. She could feel Kurenai walking up behind her. "G-gomen. I-I'm holding u-up trai-training."

"You don't have to think that way Hinata. You must remember that you play your own part in this team. You bring to Naruto and Shino both your burdens and your assets. It is the job of a team as a whole to lift the burdens of the individual while drawing upon their assets. Never forget this."

**Flashback End:**

"I can't believe that this is still here." After looking at the small remnants of the injury the skin under her nails suffered, Hinata was filled with enough confidence to stand straight up and glare directly at the man. "So what if I am a burden to my teammates. I'm not the only one. Shino-kun may be strong, but even he can't do this alone. He needs me with him as much as I need him. Naruto-kun is a burden too." She looked down a bit in thought. "He is rash and always charging headfirst into a problem. This often gets him and his teammates in trouble." She looked back up at the man with a very determined expression. "Even so, I will … no." She shook her head. "I _want_ to carry that burden. I'll carry Naruto-kun's burden for the rest of my life if I have to."

Many moments of silence passed as the two shinobi glared each other down. Finally, the man broke the silence. "Well, well, well~. It looks like the mouse has fangs. Still, it will take more than that to handle the Chunin Exams. I can't wait to see what you have to show me." The man disappeared.

Hinata relaxed a bit, but maintained her strong posture. "What was that about?"

After traveling over a kilometer, the man stopped. "This should be far enough." Seconds later, the illusion fell, revealing it to be Kurenai. She looked back at the training grounds where she left Hinata. "That went better than expected. If I wasn't a jonin, she could have actually scared me with that look she gave me." She smiled with her eyes closed. "I am proud of you Hinata."

**The next morning:**

Naruto and Shino waited outside of the academy building. They didn't have to wait long to find Hinata heading straight for them. Shino instantly noticed that her posture has changed a bit. Her hands were still being held in front, but her back was completely straight and she wasn't looking down in the slightest. When she reached them, she smiled lightly. "Let's go."

They were surprised by her confidence for the moment, but quickly followed her in. Shortly after arriving at the second floor, Naruto noticed a door with 305 written over it. He also noticed the two people standing in front, keeping a group of people out. "What's the big idea with those two?"

Seeing that he was about to charge in head first, Hinata placed her hand on his shoulder. "It's a test."

"Hinata is right about this Naruto. Is it not peculiar that a three hundred numbered room is on the second floor? No matter how many rooms are on a floor, the first digit is never changed until reaching the next floor. Going by that rule, this is likely room 205 covered up by a genjutsu."

With that last sentence, it clicked for Naruto. "I get it…. Shouldn't we tell those other people."

"The Chunin Exams are a competition Naruto. Less opposition will improve success."

His eyes flattened. "Okay~ then." He then smiled. "You two are pretty awesome."

Shino nodded and Hinata blushed slightly. They began to secretly sneak up to the third floor. From there they found their way to the room where the real tests will begin. When they arrived, they found Kurenai waiting for them. "I am glad to see that you are all here. If just one of you were missing, I wouldn't be able to let you through."

Hinata's eyes widened. "Wait, didn't you s-say that we had to decide for ourselves?"

"This is a real improvement from how she was yesterday. I have a good reason for that Hinata. It may be true that you are not allowed to participate in these exams without all your team members, but if you are unable to make the decision for yourselves, then what's the point. That doesn't matter right now because you are all here. I hope that you will all do your best in these exams. You can give _me_ your registration papers." All of them handed the papers over. "Good, I wish you all the best of luck." She disappeared in a swirl of smoke.

Naruto smiled widely and walked up to the door. "Let's show these Chunin exams what we are made of." Shino and Hinata nodded as he pushed the door open.

* * *

**Somehow, I think that the chapter would have ended a little bit better if I ended it right after Hinata said "Let's go." Still, I think that this chapter was very good. The night attack where Hinata gets her resolve could be one of my best scenes yet. I loved writing Hinata's counter.**

**Next Chapter: First Exam.**


	25. The First Exam: Chapter 25

Underlined speech is thought.

Italicized _words_ signify emphasis put on words or a change in tone_._

_Sentences of thought that are completely italicized were spoken by another character previously in this story's timeline._

_Italicized sections are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is **bolded,** it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is underlined, it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is (underlined), it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. Songs will not use quotation marks like normal speech._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING OR HIGH EMOTION.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: On their day off, Team 8 ran into Konohamaru and his friends. During some of Konohamaru's teasing, Naruto was led into chasing him. They ran into three shinobi from Suna because of this. They separated after this. When they met with their sensei the next day, Team Eight learned that they were going to attend the Chunin Exams. Unsure of what she should decide, Hinata returned to the training grounds that night. Suddenly, she encountered an unknown shinobi attacking her. He began putting her down to the point where she fell down. After this fall, she found five little holes that reminded her of a talk with Kurenai. She was able to counter the man's accusations and build up the courage to attend the exams of her own will. As they approached the door, Kurenai appeared and told them that they can now attend since they all accepted.

* * *

**1-24-10**

"**First Exam"**

The instant they opened the doors, countless malicious glares focused on them. Hinata quickly flinched back from the many looks. "Maybe I should rethink this." She shook her head. "What am I thinking? How would it look if I got this far and simply ran away?" The door opened again, causing Hinata to turn around. Her eyes widened when it turned out to be her cousin with just one of his teammates. Without a word, he walked by her with only a side glance. This one glance affected her more than all the others.

Naruto had no trouble noticing this. "HEY, WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?!"

He looked directly into Naruto's eyes. "This is none of your business loser."

"IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH HINATA-...!"

He stopped at feeling Hinata's hand on his shoulder. "I-it's okay." Naruto prepared to say something, but was stopped when a weird boy in a dark green full body suit with a bowl shaped haircut and big eyebrows ran by. Somehow, this happening knocked Naruto out of his train of thought.

Seconds later, they noticed Shikamaru approaching them. He let out a sigh and looked at Naruto. "You're already turning out to be troublesome. Why can't you just walk in the door _without_ causing a disturbance?" He looked at his teammates. "I heard from Asuma-sensei that there was a team change, but I had to see it for myself. I can't think of a way that making this switch will make the teams any better."

Choji nodded for some reason while munching on some chips. "If Shikamaru can't think of a reason, then it must have been a mistake or he doesn't have enough information."

Ino decided to walk up. "I feel bad for you two, getting stuck with Naruto all of a sudden. You'd actually be better off if you got Sasuke-kun instead. Separating Sasuke-kun from that billboard-brow would be a bonus. She might not be much of a a threat to start with, but Hinata-san isn't even interested in Sasuke-kun."

"Your proposal would defeat the initial purpose of the team change."

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed. "Interesting. Either the higher ups wanted Naruto with Shino or Hinata or they wanted Kiba with Sasuke or Sakura." He spent a few seconds thinking. "It's to troublesome to think about."

The door opened again, revealing the new Team Seven. As Ino attacked Sasuke, Kiba turned to Shino and walked up to him and began to whisper. "You have to switch with me. Those two are driving me insane. Sasuke's fine and I can even handle the fan-girl, but I can't handle Kakashi-sensei. He's always late for at least two hours, and he finds out if I try to be even a second late. You have to switch with me."

Shikamaru was close enough to hear a bit of that. "If it doesn't mater if Shino or Kiba went to Team Seven, then the purpose was putting Naruto and Hinata together. Maybe it has something to do with that crush she has on him." He looked at them. "The idiot looks like he's over Sakura at least."

Shino nodded after hearing all of Kiba's whispered rant. "I realized that I dodged that kunai when Naruto-san rejoiced at Kurenai-sensei's punctuality." With that, Kiba knew that he was stuck with Kakashi.

In the next moment, someone with white hair, glasses, dark purple sleeveless sweater, and a gray undershirt approached them. "You nine must the the rookies. You should really avoid attracting too much attention to yourselves. Most of the people here are really on edge. These exams are known for being very dangerous and difficult. I have been at this for a long time. This is my seventh attempt, making it my fourth year now.... You could consider me a bit of a veteran. I have a lot of info on the exams and on the competitors. I'd normally not tell anyone about this, but I think that you can use this." He pulled out a bunch of small red and yellow cards. "This are my nin-info cards. I have on them information on how many teams are attending this half of the year and what country they are from. By the way, my name is Kabuto."

He took out a card and put it on the ground. He began adding chakra and spinning it. This allowed Hinata to asses his chakra levels. "Amazing; his chakra reserves are almost as high as Kakashi-sensei. Is he really supposed to be a genin?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Do you have info on individuals?"

"Of course. The info may not be perfect, but I still have some. Tell me anything about them and I will find them."

"His name is Rock Lee."

"That's no fun. You even know his name." He pulled out the card and spun it like the other one. "Rock Lee; he is a year older with a mission history of 20 D-ranks and 12 C-ranks. His taijutsu sets the bar but his other skills other than weapons are near non-existent. He gathered a lot of attention last year, but didn't attend. His sensei is Guy and his teammates are Neji Hyuga and Tenten."

Naruto quickly noticed the pictures of three people under Lee's. One of them looked just like the guy who looked at Hinata funny. Naruto bent down and put his finger on the picture. "Who's this guy?"

This surprised Hinata. "Naruto-kun~."

Kabuto smirked and quickly pulled out another card. "His name is Neji Hyuga as I said before. He has the same mission stats as well. His taijutsu is ranked as high as Lee's and his other skills are well up to par. There's no doubt that he is the strongest member in his team." Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise.

Shino decided to speak up. "What of one called Gaara?"

"One after another. You sure are a curious bunch." He pulled out the card. "He is Gaara of the Desert. He has 8 C-ranks and … look at this; he has a B-rank mission. I don't have much info since he is a foreigner, but it seems that he's returned from all his missions without a scratch." Kabuto adjusted his glasses and smiled. "Konoha, Suna, Ame, Kusa, Taki, Oto~; there are many shinobi from many different villages. I don't have information on the new Otogakure, but the other villages sent many talented youngsters."

Sakura scowled. "So basically everyone here is..."

"Hai, just like the others; the best of the best."

Naruto looked down seriously. "This isn't going to be easy."

Hinata noticed that Naruto was starting to tremble. "Naruto-kun~. All the times that I have seen him, I haven't seen anything get to him so easily. He's starting to make me even more nervous." She prepared to reach out to him.

"MY NAME IS NARUTO UZUMAKI AND TEAM EIGHT IS GOING TO SHOW YOU WHAT A REAL~ TEAM CAN DO!"

Sakura and Ino didn't hesitate to hit him. "YOU IDIOT~! WHAT'D YOU GO AND DO THAT FOR?!"

Beside her concern for Naruto's pain, Hinata chuckled. "I should have known that Naruto-kun wouldn't get nervous. That's not like him."

Naruto started to stand up, taking Shino's hand for a little boost. "I would have preferred that you not involve us in your competitive assertion."

As expected, Naruto tilted his head in confusion, prompting a quick response from Hinata. "An assertion is something y-you say will happen no matter what."

Naruto thought about it for a second before smiling. "I'm just giving them fair warning Hinata-chan. We're all going to be chunin when this is over."

Hinata nodded. "Hai Naruto-kun; lets do our best." Her eyes widened. "Watch out." Shino, Kiba, and Naruto all turned in the direction she was looking. Seeing someone come out of the group and throw some kunai, Shino countered them with the kunai he pulled out. Kiba jumped up at the shinobi.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu." Two clones appeared in time to intercept another who was half covered in bandages. Two senbon were fired off, taking out the clones. He prepared to charge in himself, but the attacker already reached Kabuto. He launched a wide hook that Kabuto leaned back to dodge. For this reason, everyone was surprised when his glasses cracked. In the next second, he bent over and began throwing up. "Wait, what happened. I thought he dodged it."

Shino narrowed his eyes behind his glasses. "Naruto-san is right. Kabuto-san very clearly dodged that attack." He looked at the people who filled the room. "It appears that our training under Kurenai-sensei is more ingrained into our reactions than expected. Even Kiba-san reacted with haste."

Lee watched the event carefully with his team. "What do you think of that attack?"

"It was unusual. I have no doubt that he dodged it, which means that there is some secret to the attack."

"What about your cousin's teammates."

Neji narrowed his eyes. "She's just an early warning system Tenten. Those other shinobi were just to bold in their attack."

Gaara developed a small smirk. "Interesting."

"THAT'S ENOUGH YOU BRATS!" Every genin in that room turned their attention from the events in the back to focus on what was happening in the front. Amidst the smoke, a large number of obviously high ranking Konoha shinobi appeared. The obvious leader was a man with a large scare along his face. "I am Ibiki Morino, your proctor for this exam." He pointed towards the back. "That's enough. Any fighting during this part of the exam will result in immediate expulsion."

The one in bandages turned to Ibiki. "Will all do~ respect, we aren't the only ones fighting."

"But you are the ones who started it. The others were acting in defense and you know it. Now you will all pick one of these tabs here and sit in the seat that corresponds with your number. We will then hand out the exams."

Naruto's eyes widened. "A-a paper test."

Shino walked up and placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Do not be concerned."

**A few minutes later:**

Naruto was as concerned as he could be. "What's Shino talking about. I can't do this. We're going to fail because of me~." He looked to his right and noticed Sakura sitting right next to him. "Hey, hey, Sakura-chan. Will you let me..."

"No, I'm not letting you cheat off of me."

"Please~." Her glare quickly scared him off.

"Let me explain the rules." All attention was back on Ibiki. "Rule one is that this exam is based on a point reduction system. You start with ten points, but you lose one for every question that you get wrong. There are ten questions."

Shikamaru glared a bit. "How's the end result any different from a normal test setup."

"Rule two is that this is a team test. If you pass or not depends on the collective scores of all three teammates. That means that the total score for a team is thirty."

Sasuke smirked. "Maybe that little move to put the dobe on his tool's team worked out to my advantage. Kiba won't hold me back as much here."

"The third rule is that we won't be allowing any sneaky behavior like cheating. Any and all~ offenders who are caught will automatically have two points deducted from their overall score for each time they are spotted." He turned his attention to the many shinobi flanking the genin. "These are highly skilled chunin and jonin who are well known for keen eyes. _All_ foolish attempts will be found out. … The pathetic ones in your group will only wind up destroying themselves. You are all trying to climb the ranks as great shinobi … so show us what great shinobi you can be."

Shino smiled under his coat. "This makes my original intention an easier endeavor."

"Last of all, anyone who receives a zero on their test will be excluded from continuing the exams along with their two teammates."

This was quickly met with large amounts of opposition. "NO~~! THAT'S THE WORST THING POSSIBLE! HOW CAN I EVER LOOK AT HINATA-CHAN AND SHINO EVER AGAIN?!"

"ENOUGH! Any one caught five times cheating will be sent out with their teammates. You have one hour to finish. BEGIN!"

Sakura's brow furrowed as she read the second question. "_Line B, as seen in this picture represents the greatest distance a shinobi can throw a shuriken from a tree of seven meters. For enemies who appear __within the circumference of the shuriken's range, explain the attack options you are faced with using this distance. Show your work._"

"This is insane. I could probably count the number of genin in this room that can answer this kind of question on one hand, myself included. I shouldn't be doing this, but I can't let Naruto be kicked out just because this test is so unfair. … Wait. If we do it too much, we'll just get kicked out. Maybe I can answer them all before giving him them." With all the brainpower she possessed, Sakura spent the next twenty-five minutes answering the questions. "This should be enough." She looked over to Naruto to notice that he wasn't nervous anymore. Even more surprising, he was writing. "What's going on ?" Out of pure curiosity, she looked closely at his paper. It took her a few seconds but she noticed a small black bug. "Is that bug actually telling Naruto what to write. His answers are actually correct." She noticed another bug coming in and that one leaving. She followed it's path to Shino and also noticed another coming out.

Her eyes widened and she snapped forward when a kunai flew by her head. The kid behind her reacted violently. "HEY, WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?!"

A shinobi with bandages over his nose glared at him. "That was your fifth mistake. Get out and take your teammates with you."

As his gaze lowered, he caught Sakura directly in the eyes. That alone was enough to send her into powerful palpitations. She could feel her heartbeat in her toes and at the top of her head. "That was the scariest thing ever. If this was a normal test, I would have been kicked out for just looking like I was cheating. That must have been two or three offenses." Her expression changed to realization. "Why isn't it a one offense elimination. It's normal to get kicked out after cheating once; unless~. _You are all trying to climb the ranks as great shinobi … so show us what great shinobi you can be._ WE ARE SUPPOSED TO CHEAT!" She suddenly lurched forward as a foreign sensation hit her from behind.

**Minutes earlier.**

"Arf." Kiba smiled. "Great job Akamaru. Let's get the next one."

A tiny insect flew over Shino's paper in a figure eight patter. "So the answer is 8. Relay this to Naruto."

"_When I adjust my headband, I can see it._" Tenten fiddled with her fingers until seeing Lee do just that. "You better thank me for this Lee."

Hinata let out a large sigh of relief as a insect flew away. "With Shino's help, I don't have to worry about Naruto-kun anymore. There was nothing I could do to help without revealing myself. I only have to worry about myself now."

"Byakugan." Neji pumped his eyes with chakra enough to see through the person in front of himself. "This is too easy."

"That's a good one; Sharingan." Sasuke's eyes turned red with an arrangement of tomoe around the pupils. "Now, copy the movements of his pen." He smilled. "Its a good thing I learned this against that guy Sakura stomped on." He then repressed a shuder. "That will forever haunt me."

"Now, going by the rhythm, volume, and the length of the strokes … good~, that's the answer."

A thin cloud of sand formed in front of Gaara and turned into an eye. "The third eye, invisibly linked to the optic nerve." He then crushed it into many small grains of sand that spread out.

"I can't tell if you have a brain or not behind that big forehead of yours. I'm sure that you aren't stupid enough to cheat off that idiot, but these watchers don't know that. It's hard to believe that you are looking around like _that_. No matter, as long as she's answered her questions." Ino formed a single hand-seal. "Mind Transfer Jutsu." In the new body, Ino started looking over the answers. "Now I need to memorize these and pass them on to Shikamaru and Choji. I would get her kicked out, but that would also kick Sasuke-kun out."

Shikamaru watched Ino's actions. "Ino's putting her jutsu to use. Even though it's troublesome, I should at least answer some of them. Choji's expecting some help." He turned his attention to Choji and took notice of the exact position of his paper before positioning his own paper that way. "Shadow Possesion Jutsu." With the shadow connected to his teammate, Shikamaru had him write down his answer.

As the minutes passed, genin after genin were kicked out of the room. One genin was even _forcefully_ expelled. Finally, the forty-five minute mark was met. "Now that the trash is gone, it's time. Okay, we will now start the tenth-question."

00000000000000

**What better place is there to end this chapter than right there. The real point of this chapter is to show off how Kurenai put Hinata's ability to sense when anyone molds chakra within her range. She trained Hinata to warn the team the instant she senses molded chakra and trained her teammates to react instantly. I'm really trying to set them apart.**

**Next Chapter: The Forest**


	26. The Forest: Chapter 26

Underlined speech is thought.

Italicized _words_ signify emphasis put on words or a change in tone_._

_Sentences of thought that are completely italicized were spoken by another character previously in this story's timeline._

_**Italicized sections are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is bolded, it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is underlined, it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is (underlined), it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. Songs will not use quotation marks like normal speech.**_

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING OR HIGH EMOTION.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: The meet with unpleasant company as soon as walking through the door in the form of the other Konoha teams. Soon after learning about the of the opposing genin, they are attacked by Oto shinobi. Ibiki shows and interrupts them to start the test. After learning the rules, the test began. As genin were knocked off, others were able to discreetly obtain answers. It was them that remained after the forty-five minute mark.)

* * *

**Thanks to a virus incident, I had to restart my computer. I forgot to back up my files in the process and lost this entire chapter. This chapter would have had to wait an extra week if I didn't write the full chapter all over again in just one day, starting at 6:00 pm. to 12:00 am. I'll call it my new personal record.**

**1-7-10**

"**The Forest"**

The Suna kunoichi gazed back nervously. "Hurry back Kankuro. You getting the answerers does no good if you are too late to hear the tenth question."

"Before we get to the tenth question, I would like to go over some new ground rules." He noticed Kankuro coming in through the back door. "Ah~ just in time. I hope you found your trip to the latrines enlightening."

The tone scared Kankuro. "Darn, he's on to me."

"Just take your seat." Ibiki waited for him to do just that. "I'll explain. These rules are~ rules of desperation. First of all, you can decide if you want to take this question or not."

The same kunoichi rose from her seat. "AND WHAT IF WE CHOOSE NOT TO?!"

He glared at the whole room. "If you choose not to take it, your points will be reduced to zero. I'm sure you know what that means for you and your team."

A random genin crushed his pencil in his hand. "WHAT KIND OF RULE IS THAT?! OF COURSE WE WILL TAKE THE QUESTION!"

Ibiki continued as if he said nothing. "The second rule is~ … if you choose to take it and answer _incorrectly,_ not only will your points drop to zero, you will forever be banned from all future Chunin Exams.

Being too shocked, Naruto said nothing. Kiba was more than happy to fill his role. "WHAT KIND OF STUPID RULE IS THAT?! LOADS OF PEOPLE HERE TOOK THE EXAMS BEFORE!"

He looked at Kiba with a smirk. "You were simply unlucky this year. These are _my_ rules. Of course~ you still have a way out. If you just aren't confident enough, you can try again next time. If you don't want to do it, just raise your hand and you are free to go."

Hinata's eyes were wide open in fear. "This can't be happening. I have been close to Naruto-kun all this time, so I shouldn't feel his emotions; but they are so~ strong. I've never felt such fear before in my life." Tears began to prick the corner of her eyes as she focused on the blond. "It's okay Naruto-kun. I don't mind and Shino-kun never holds a grudge. Just raise your hand Naruto-kun. You need to think about your dream."

One person stood up and raised his hand. "I CAN'T DO IT! I'm sorry Gennai, Inoho." After this one, genin after genin began to raise their hands.

"Why won't you do it Naruto-kun." She thought back to the times she watched him and her missions with him. "That's right. You have never given up on anything. You are too suborned for this." She shut her eyes as tears flowed freely. "Gomen, but I can't let you do this. I can't let you throw away your dreams." As soon as her hand started moving, she felt a sharp pinch. She looked down and noticed a group of black specks. "These are Shino-kun's. Did he predict what I would do." The insects arranged themselves into the words 'his choice.' This managed to get through to Hinata. "Shino-kun is right. I _can't_ make this decision for~ Naruto-kun." With a sudden change in her feelings, she noticed Naruto's hand start to raise.

Shino nodded with a sigh. "If that is the choice he made, I have no right to interfere."

Hinata's eyes were wide in confusion. "His emotions changed."

Just before they could mark Naruto's number, he stood up and slammed his hand on the desk. "SCREW YOU! I AM NOT RUNNING AWAY! I DON'T CARE IF I AM A GENIN MY WHOLE LIFE. I'LL JUST BE THE FIRST GENIN TO BECOME HOKAGE!"

In the surge of Naruto's strong emotions, Hinata stood as well. "I AM WITH HIM!"

Shino let out another sigh. "A colony must act as one." He stood up as well. "Me as well."

Ibiki looked between the three as he turned his approaching smile into a smirk. "This is interesting. I would ask if you were sure, but it's hard to argue with a unified team."

"You got that right. Team Eight is going to rule these exams."

"Fine then." The three took their seats as Ibiki searched the room. "Those little brats. That little show knocked all the hesitation out of everyone else. Waiting any longer would be a waste of time. To think that seventy-eight would remain." He slipped his hands into his pockets. "I commend your decisions. For that, I CONGRATULATE YOU SEVENTY-EIGHT GENIN FOR PASSING THE FIRST TEST!"

Sakura leaned forward. "What do you mean. What about the tenth question."

Ibiki laughed and smiled for the first time. "The tenth question never existed, at least not a written one. You could say your decision to stay was the answer."

The Suna kunoichi leaned onto her desk. "HEY, THEN WHAT WERE THOSE FIRST NINE FOR … A JOKE?!"

"No, but I found some parts amusing. They already served their purpose a while ago."

She simply sat down in confusion. "He's like an entirely different person."

He developed a wide smile. "That purpose was to test your informational gathering skills." He noticed some confused expressions. "As you all figured out before, success on this test was dependent on everyone on the team doing well. This put a heavy burden on the team and the individual to non mess up. The issue was that the questions were well beyond genin level. Because of that fact, most of you came to one simple conclusion, _I have to cheat._ The point of the nine questions was to make you cheat. Just in case there weren't any super brains in the room, we had a team of disguised chunin join you and answer the questions for you."

The chunin waved to make their identities known. Naruto crossed his arms and smiled. "Those must be the guys Shino suckered answer out of."

"Of course, those who failed to cheat successfully failed horribly." Ibiki began taking of the bandana covering his head.

The sight revealed to the genin horrified all but the most hardened ones. Hinata nearly barfed up her breakfast. "It looks like someone drilled holes into his head, burned it and slashed it open. What kind of torture did he go through~?"

With the bandana off, Ibiki was able to give a more intimidating glare. "Your ability to cheat was tested because there are times when information is valuable enough for scores of men to risk life and limb over it." He began putting the bandana back on to the relief of most of the room. "If you are noticed in your efforts, there is not guaranty that your info is accurate." He glared at them strongly. "I want you all~ to remember that information in your hands can be a powerful tool in the hands of your comrades and your village, but false info can destroy everything. We had to make sure that you all had the right skills for this job If you couldn't do this, it was better to not even try."

The Suna kunoichi finally relaxed. "I still don't understand the tenth question."

Ibiki spread his arms in emphasis. "The tenth question was the main point of the entire test."

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

He smiled. "I'm usually tired of explaining things by this point. The tenth question is a take it or leave it situation. This was an obviously difficult decision to make. The choices were to leave and fail with your teammates or to take the question and potentially loose your future career; a true leap of faith. Let's say that you become a chunin in command of your own squad. You are given a mission to steal a secret document. The number of enemies and their abilities is unknown to you. You also have reason to believe that they are expecting you and set a trap. Now, do you accept the mission or not to because you don't want to die or lose any of your comrades." He smirked at them. "The answer is no. No matter how dangerous, there are missions you can't avoid. Courage and the ability to survive any challenge are traits that make up true chunin captains. For those who can't risk an uncertain future and simply say, _there is always next time_, walking away from their chance." He lowered his voice to a powerful strong voice. "That kind trash human who can only make cowardly choices don't have the right to ever be chunin!" He relaxed his expression. "You have made it through the first part of the Chunin Selection Exam. I wish you all luck." He looked at the members of Team Eight. "We have an interesting group here." He turned his attention to his right.

As soon as he did that, a massive ball of cloth busted the widows and flew to the middle of the room. Two kunai tied to corners shot off and pined the banner to the walls, revealing the person inside. "ALRIGHT MAGGOTS, IT'S NO TIME TO CELEBRATE!" The woman had violet hair tied back in a short wide ponytail. Her outfit consisted of shin-guards, a short orange miniskirt, and a large tan overcoat flapping freely around her. You could clearly see the mesh she was wearing under the coat which left little to imagination. Any man fighting her would certainly be distracted by the revealing outfit. "I AM THE EXAMINER FOR THE SECOND TEST, ANKO MITARASHI! GET UP AND FOLLOW ME!"

Sakura donned an exasperated expression. "She reminds me of Naruto."

Anko surveyed the room with and annoyed expression. "Seventy-eight. _Ibiki_, you left twenty-six teams behind?! Your test was too easy!"

He smirked at her. "Perhaps we have an exceptional crop of craniates this year."

"Bah, fine with me. I'll cut them to at least half in the next exam."

This worried Hinata. "_At least in half?_"

She lowered her face a bit and smirked in a sadistic manner. "I'm getting excited. I'll explain everything at the next examination zone. Now follow me."

**Scene change:**

The genin looked up at the a forest with many surprised expressions. The roots of the trees alone were twice the height of a full grown man. If the flora was this big, some began to worry about the fauna. "Welcome maggots to the Forty-forth Training Grounds … also known as the forest of death. You'll soon~ find out how it got this name."

Naruto crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. "It doesn't look that tough."

"You're spirited." Anko smiled before quickly pulling out a kunai and tossing it just past his cheek. She instantly appeared behind Naruto. "Kids like you often wind up painting the forest that color of red I just love." She ran her tongue against his cheek to collect his blood to prove her point.

She suddenly pulled out her kunai and turned her attention to someone at her back. The person was holding out the kunai from before with a tongue as long as a forearm. "Here~, your~ kunai." Aside from that feature, the gender ambiguous person wore a large straw hat and an arm thick purple rope around the waist.

Anko smiled in appreciation. "Why thank you." She then glared at the person. "But just so you know, don't sneak up behind me unless you are looking for the grave."

The head was lowered to hide the eyes behind the hat. "I apologize. I simply got excited at the sight of blood and your kunai cutting through my hair."

Hinata trembled at her position right next to Naruto. "Do people like this even exist?"

Anko smirked as the person walked away. "It looks like there are some bloodthirsty ones this time. This should be interesting."

Naruto rubbed his cheek. "You're one to talk."

As Naruto stepped away, Anko started reaching into her coat. "NOW BEFORE WE START THE SECOND TEST, I HAVE SOMETHING THAT I HAVE TO PASS OUT!" Many confused expressions could be seen in the crowd when she presented a thick stack of paper. "I need all of you to sign these waivers." She produced a joyous expression. "There are some of you who won't make it out of here alive. These are so mommy and daddy don't decide to try and blame me for your deaths." She relaxed her expression and pointed to a stand manned by three men with her thumb. "You can go to that booth after hearing what I have to say and signing your papers."

She handed the stack to Naruto who passed all but one to Hinata. "This woman is getting on my nerves."

"Now I'll explain. To put it simply, this is a survival exam. I'll first explain the area that this test will take place." She pulled out a small map of a perfectly round area. "Around the Forty-Fourth Training Grounds, there are forty-four locked gates. Inside is a river, forest, and a tower in the center. The distance between all the gates and the tower is about ten kilometers. During this survival exam, you are being asked to use all your weapons, skills, and jutsu in a no-holds-bar battle for these."

She held up a single white banded scroll to the confusion of some genin. "Scrolls~?"

"That's right." She pulled out another scroll with dark blue bands. "You will be fighting over these scrolls, heaven and earth. Since there are twenty-six teams here, half will get thirteen earth scrolls and the other half with get thirteen heaven scrolls. To pass the test, you must take both scrolls to the tower."

Hinata sweated a bit. "Only half the teams can pass this way."

"There is also a time limit of 120 hours, exactly five days."

This shocked Ino. "FIVE DAYS~!?"

"WHAT ABOUT FOOD!?"

"It's survival for a reason. There are plenty of things to snack on in the forest as long as you watch out for what is trying to eat you or anything detrimental to your health. Honestly, I highly doubt that thirteen teams will actually pass. As the remaining days turn into just hours, fatigue sets in and you have less time to rest. You have to constantly be on guard for the enemy that could be just around that tree you are sleeping under. Some will find it too harsh and lose their scrolls or even die."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "This is looking like a real challenge."

She held out her hand. "I will now talk about what will get you disqualified." She started using her fingers to count. "First, if you fail to make it to the tower with both scroll in under 120 hours. Second, those who manage the first condition but also lose track of a teammate, either as it sounds or through death. Third, if you even attempt to escape you will be thrown back into the forest. You are all stuck there for the full five days. Fourth and last, you must not look into the scrolls until you are in the tower."

Naruto scrunched his face. "Let's say we take a little peak."

Anko waved her finger in a no-no manner. "You don't want to do that." She turned her attention to the group. "Chunin can be asked to transport classified information. This is to test your trustworthiness. That's it, I'm done. Take your three waivers to the booth and turn them in for your scroll." She slipped her hands into the pockets of her jacket. "Oh, and one last thing … don't die!"

As he waited for their chance, Shino watched the other teams receive their scrolls. "They are using a black curtain to ensure no one of who possesses which scroll."

Hinata walked up to Naruto and held out a small brown canister. "What's this Hinata-chan?"

"I-it's for your cut Naruto-kun."

He placed his finger on his cheek. "Oh~, that. I nearly forgot. Arigato." Naruto reach out and grabbed it. He popped the top off and rubbed some of the white cream on his fingers before putting it on his cheek. "Wow, Hinata-chan. This stuff doesn't even hurt. It's like my cut disappeared." He noticed her wide eyes. "What's wrong Hinata-chan?"

She shook her head as if she was tuning him out. "Oh~, gomen. It's nothing."

"Eh~, okay." He walked over to Shino.

"What's going on. I tested that ointment out myself. There's no way that cut could have healed instantly like that." She looked at Naruto with a worried expression. "What is happening with you Naruto-kun?"

When they got their heaven's scroll, Team Eight learned that their gate was number sixteen. "ALRIGHT MAGGOTS, FOLLOW AN INSTRUCTOR TO YOUR GATE! THE EXAM WILL BEGIN IN THIRTY MINUTES!"

**Forty minutes later:**

Team Eight stopped in the middle of an open spot. Naruto linked his arms over his head. "So everyone is going to wind up at the tower."

Shino nodded. "Hai, it would be prudent to arrive first and prepare traps."

They noticed Hinata's attention shift. "What is it Hinata-chan?"

Three Konoha shinobi wearing black outfits landed on branches overlooking the team. The leader of the group smirked. "Those kids are just standing out in the open like complete amateurs. It's hard to believe they mad such a show of themselves earlier. Even~ if the manage to notice us, they have no clue where we are." He took noticed of his teammates face. "Hey, what's wrong; you're turning blue." He noticed a massive yellow blob under his shirt. "WHAT IS THAT?!"

Countless numbers of more blobs fell from the canopy above, knocking them to the ground. Shino stepped forward. "Those are Konoha Jumping Leaches. They detect large organisms and attack en-mass. Five minutes are fatal. We realized their presence and arranged an appropriate trap."

In the attempt to get up, the leader tripped a wire that triggered a net that hoisted them into the air. "AHHHHH!" Their collective scream echoed throughout the forest.

After three minutes, Naruto unleashed enough shuriken to free the team and kill the leaches. They tried to get up, but passed out. Shino stepped forward and looked through their possessions as Naruto crossed his arms in frustration. "I don't like this. They are Konoha shinobi just like us."

"Gomen Naruto-san but this is no place. Participation Konoha teams outnumber the other team. Inter-village conflict is inevitable."

"I still don't like it."

Shino stopped rummaging and stood up. "May I propose a compromise in the Uzumaki Tsunami Formation."

Hinata's eyes widened. "Does that mean~?"

Shino presented an earth scroll to compliment their heaven scroll. "I KNEW WE WOULD RULE THESE EXAMS!" Both teammates flinched badly. Naruto smiled nervously and rubbed the back of his head. "Gomen, I forgot."

Shino simply nodded. "Two teams should suffice as a proper guard."

Naruto smiled widely and he began to cross his forefingers. "Finally, it's time for my time to shine. Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!" In the next moment, 201 clones appeared. "Transform!" With that jutsu, two out of three of the clones changed their forms so that Team Eight became sixty-eight teams. Naruto walked up to Hinata and took her hands.

_On a helpless but pretty **(**night**)**  
Soothing and comforting  
And prospering on the (eyelids)  
Surrounded by the lively and bright fields of (heaven)  
As **(**I**)**, at this moment  
Make this promise to join like (twins)  
Like a string of breaths  
Winds grab a hold of (us)  
I, at this moment  
And through (eternity)  
Wear the winds of the red (soul)  
As I make this promise  
(And bind my soul to yours)_

Now in their combined form, Hinata formed the hand-seal. "Shadow Clone Jutsu." This time only three clones were created. With this finally done, they headed off.

Shino followed behind Naruto closely. "This is the formation Kurenai-sensei invented for our new team. Naruto-san creates a massive quantity of replications that spread out and leave behind countless trails. Using their reconnaissance skills, they scout ahead and ascertain the most secure route. The three reacted clones serve as nearby sentries with Hinata's detection skills. Even chunin level shinobi would have trouble with them. With this formation, we can rapidly reach our destination."

In just a short time, they reached the tower without having to make many changes in their trajectory or having to deal with any traps not disarmed by the clones. With nothing left ahead, Naruto and Hinata broke their reaction "I knew this test would be a breeze. Time to let my clones go."

"Wait Naruto-san." Naruto turned his attention to Shino. "Your clones serve great a reconnaissance purposes. They should continue."

Naruto thought about it for a second before it clicked. "Oh~, I get it. I should let them know then. Shadow Clone Jutsu." One clone appeared before quickly disappearing. With his disappearance, the command was transported to every clone including the reacted ones. "Time to make it official." At Naruto's lead, Team Eight finished their test as everyone else was just beginning.

* * *

**I bet that none of you expected that swift end to the test. I wonder what I should do next chapter. Should I just move on to the prelims or show what else is happening in the forest. I'll let you readers decide.**

**Next Chapter: (Depends on the Reviews.)**


	27. Last Moment Surprise: Chapter 27

Underlined speech is thought.

_Italicized words signify emphasis put on the words or a change in tone. You should be able to figure it out from the choice of words and the character._

_Sentences of thought that are completely italicized were spoken by another character at another time._

_Italicized sections are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is bolded, it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is underlined, it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is (underlined), it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. Songs will not use quotation marks like normal speech._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words-with-dashes-between-them-consistently-signify-when-a-character-is-talking-too-fast-to-understand.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: At the forty-five minute mark, Ibiki began the tenth question. With the frightening condition he gave them, most of the remaining genin started giving up one by one. During this, Hinata worried about Naruto. Luckily, Shino was able to stop her from raising her hand. This didn't stop Naruto from raising his own hand. He slammed it back down and declared his determination. Hinata and Shino stood behind him. After that, the remaining genin followed Anko to the second part. She explained the rules of the exam, with slight interruption by Naruto. Shortly after the second part began, a team with the scroll they needed ran into Team Eight. They easily obtained in and cleared the test with the Uzumaki Tsunami formation.)

* * *

**2-21-10**

**Last Moment Surprise**

Team Eight walked right into an open room. They soon noticed a board right in front of them. Each one of them read the board on their own. Shino nodded in understanding. "Qualities of heaven represent the mind and qualities of earth represent the body. If we lack heavenly qualities, then we must study and improve our knowledge. If we lack earthly qualities, then we must train our bodies."

"That r-reminds me of training."

Naruto smiled. "Yeah~, though I didn't like it much; I can under stand what Kurenai-sensei was trying to do when she told me all that theoretical junk." He looked closely at the board. "But, what's with those blank spots?"

Hinata took a breath. "Maybe we h-have to open the scrolls."

"That sounds like a great idea Hinata-chan."

Shino let out a sigh under his breath. "I hope that they are right." Naruto handed the heaven's scroll to Hinata. They both hold their scrolls out and grabbed the ends. In one motion, they opened both of the scrolls. Shino quickly noticed something happening. "Discard!"

On a trained reflex, Naruto and Hinata tossed the scrolls to the ground. Just as the heaven scroll landed on the earth scroll, Hinata began to feel a chakra source. The paper began to bulge out before exploding in smoke. Naruto stood right next to Hinata with Shino in front. They quickly dropped their guard as the smoked cleared to reveal Iruka. He let out a sigh while walking towards them with a intimidating expression on his face. "I was really hoping none of you would do this." He stopped and looked around in a stupefied expression. "Are we … in the tower?"

Hinata nodded and Naruto stepped forward. "What's going on Iruka-sensei?"

"Well~, we were ordered to…" He decided then to take a double take. "How did you guys get here so fast?"

"We were fortunate."

"Still, it's been only forty minutes. The record is four hours."

Naruto paused for a few seconds to accumulate this information. "ALRIGHT~, WE RULED THESE EXAMS!"

"What of your previous train of thought?"

This clicked for Iruka. "Oh, gomen. It's just so surprising that you three managed to finish so easily. I was about to say that we were told to knock out anyone who opens the scroll in the forest. I was worried you guys opened it in early desperation."

Hinata gulped. "That explains the way Iruka-sensei was glaring at us."

"Tell me, did you three figure out the board behind me."

Shino nodded. "Earth represents the body and heaven represents the mind."

"That is right. This is the motto that the Hokage wrote for all chunin to follow. If you live by it, no mission will be impossible for you." He took note of their smiles. "Though I doubt there are many difficult missions for them considering how well they did. I congratulate you for passing the second part of the exams. Since we have to wait for the five days to end, you have all that time to rest. There should be plenty facilities here for all of you. I'll see you again soon." He left the room in a swirl of smoke.

While taking about their success, a conversation Naruto dominated, they walked through the halls of the tower. All of a sudden, Naruto and Hinata froze in place. Shino took notice of their horrified expressions. "What could be this dreadful?"

Hinata covered her mouth and held back some dry heaves. Naruto took a breath. "I-it was that Gaara guy. He just killed someone in cold blood."

"I assume that a reacted clone witnessed the event considering your dual languish."

"We … we t-tried to s-save h-his teammates, b-but."

"Gaara destroyed our clone after we tried to attack him."

Shino placed a hand on their shoulders. "Perhaps we should go somewhere we can sit down." Both nodded in agreement. They walked until finding a bench, which the pair sat on. "Can you delineate his jutsu?"

Naruto didn't even bother asking what that meant, so Hinata answered for him. "H-he uses s-sand. The o-one who w-w-was killed a-attacked f-first by r-r-raining senbon on G-Gaara b-but the sand pr-protected him. After th-that, G-Gaara crushed him w-with the sand."

"He got ready to kill the other two, so we tried to stop him. His sand blocked our attack and wrapped us up with the other two before crushing all of us."

He focused on Hinata. "Are they aware of your role as the weapon?"

Hinata shook her head. "M-my clone disappeared w-with Naruto-k-kun's."

Shino let out a sigh. "I knew Gaara-san was dangerous. We should hope that we are never forced to face him alone."

Naruto suddenly received another set of memories. "Sakura, Kiba, Teme!"

Hinata turned to Naruto. "What's h-happening?"

"It's that weird woman with that tongue. She's attacking them with some kind of giant snake. Sasuke was actually scared enough to try and give away his scroll. I don't know what is going on right now, but I know that one of our reacted clones is going to try and help."

Shino nodded. "I believe a repose would ameliorate the both of you."

Naruto turned to Hinata with a confused expression. The scene was enough to restore her smile. "Shino-kun is saying that some rest will do us some good."

"Oh." Naruto turned to Shino. "Why didn't you say that in the first place?"

"I believed that a change in mood was necessary."

Hinata smiled. "Arigato Shino-kun." She turned to Naruto. "I think that there is a room behind this bench."

They stood up and entered the room. There were enough beds for an entire team to use. Even so, this made Naruto a little nervous. "You can have this room Hinata-chan. I can find somewhere else."

She grabbed his jacked before he can leave. "W-w-well, I-I don't know i-if I can sl-sleep alone r-right now."

Naruto's eyes widened a bit. "She must be scared thanks to what our clone saw. Okay Hinata-chan." Naruto walked to the back bed and sat down. Hinata decided to lie down in the middle bed.

"I will explore the tower for the moment." Shino walked from the doorway, leaving the pair alone.

For a while, the pair had trouble coming up with anything good to say that wouldn't involve Gaara or the trouble Team Seven was in. After letting out a yawn, Naruto blushed. "Gomen, I'm a little more tired than I expected."

"I-It's okay. Simply reacting m-makes us a little m-more tired than u-usual. I think a n-nap would be ameliorating."

Naruto narrowed his eyes before chuckling. "Oh yeah, Shino just used that one. It feels weird that I'm agreeing with anyone on taking a nap."

Hinata echoed his chuckles. "You're right. You are always so … energetic." Hinata took in a gulp of air. "I-it's one of th-the things I-I like about y-y-you." Her clenched throat relaxed at her letting those words out.

Naruto was surprised for a bit before smiling. He stood up on his bed and put his thumb to his heart. "YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT HINATA-CHAN! I WON'T REST UNTIL I BECOME HOKAGE!" Hinata rose up and chuckled into her hand. Being able make her laugh warmed Naruto's heart.

She laid back down and closed her eyes. "I think we should g-get some sleep be-before we keep each o-other up all d-day."

Naruto flinched as some memories entered his head. "Hai Hinata-chan." Naruto also laid down. Before closing his eyes, he took a close look at Hinata. The hair that framed the left side of her face bent down over her lips. Naruto could tell that she wasn't thinking about Gaara anymore. He closed his eyes in an attempt to follow her lead.

**The tower's lower levels:**

Shino patrolled the bottom floor in a continuous pattern. In the next minutes he saw just the team he was looking for. The smallest of the team hurried up towards him. They stopped at a four arms width distance. The one in front narrowed his black ringed eyes. "I forgot your teammate's name. What was it?"

Shino lowered his head. "Naruto Uzumaki."

"Where~ is he?"

Through his insects, Shino noticed some slight hidden blood-lust. "That is not your concern. I'm certain that any altercation is prohibited within the tower."

Kankuro's eye started twitching. "I'm going to go tone deaf listening to these two."

The eldest began to notice the growing blood-lust. She placed her hand on Gaara's shoulder with a nervous smile on her face. "Calm down Gaara. I think he's right. Just remember that the exams aren't over yet."

With that, Gaara suddenly relaxed and began to walk past Shino. His teammates followed straightaway. After a few moments, Shino let out a breath. "That could be the most anserine thing I've ever done."

**Back in the room:**

After about an hour, Hinata was woken up by the sound of rustling sheets. She opened her eyes and saw that it was Naruto tossing and turning in his bed. She sat up and swung her legs over the edge. "I see that you've awakened."

Hinata turned to face Shino. "What is w-wrong with him?"

"I believe that the memories from clones are manifesting themselves as dreams. I doubt he will recuperate properly until all his clones disappear."

Hinata looked down sadly. "I see. That may take a while. I know that the two remaining clones of us reacted are still out there. I'm really worried about just what is happening out there."

**With Team Seven:**

After dealing with the sudden attack, Sakura finally finished moving her team somewhere safe. "Arigato Naruto, Hinata. This would have taken a while without your help." She smiled at a group of untransformed Naruto clones and one reacted pair. She sat down and let out a sigh before focusing on the reaction clone. "It's too bad you didn't show up before that guy bit Sasuke-kun. I think you two could have helped."

The ethereal Hinata looked down sadly. "Gomen. I don't know if we could be enough. That person's chakra reserves were unreal. He's even larger than Kakashi-sensei."

Sakura looked down. "I see. Even if you're right, I'm glad you showed up at all. Can you help me protect them?" She turned to Kiba and Sasuke.

The Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "I'm not sure how long we can last. Clones lose their chakra over time. Since I made a lot, I don't know how much longer they will last."

"Reaction Clones reach their limit sooner than normal ones. Reacting takes a lot of energy from us."

Sakura let out another sigh. "I see. Do you think you can protect us long enough for me to set up some traps and take a nap?"

Hinata nodded. "Sure. You need all the rest you can get." They heard some barking. They looked down and noticed Akamaru. "Gomen, we forgot about you. Are you going to help us Akamaru-chan." The puppy yipped in acceptance, ignoring the 'chan' word.

Sakura stood up. "Arigato, now first the traps."

Half an hour of preparation passed before the Reaction Clone disappeared. During this time, Sakura worked on the traps with Naruto. They finished just before sundown. Sakura went to sleep, leaving the clones to do the guarding. After just half an hour, they started disappearing. The last ones prepared to wake Sakura up, but Kiba started to move. The Inuzuka blinked a few times before noticing that he was surrounded by Naruto. He prepared to defend himself, but Akamaru jumped into his arms. At the scene, the clones relaxed enough to lose control of existence. With that, Akamaru started explaining what happened to Kiba.

**Back in the tower:**

The minutes turned into hours and hours to days. Naruto slept till the next morning. Time continued to fly by until noon of the fifth day. In the main office of the tower, Anko and Hiruzen talked. "From what you've told me, we can't cancel the exams or things will get messy. In that case, we will have to continue the exams while watching for Orochimaru's movements."

Anko nodded. "Hai, I understand Hokage-sama."

The surveillance screen turned on, revealing a single chunin. "Anko-sama, the second part is over. We have confirmed that seven full teams in total have passed the exams. It looks like we will have to have our first preliminary exam since five years ago." Hiruzen narrowed his eyes.

Down in the central room, the genin gathered together. Naruto focused on everyone there while trying to recall his memories from his clone based dreams. Kiba walked right up to them. "Thanks for the help guys. We had a little trouble after waking up, but it wasn't anything we couldn't handle. After our first problem with those Oto guys, some other guys tried some genjutsu, but I sniffed them out easy."

"That's good Kiba-kun."

Shino nodded. "Your training under Kurenai-sensei proved beneficial."

"ALRIGHT MAGGOTS, LINE UP WITH YOUR TEAMMATES!" Most of the genin reluctantly did as they were told. Anko focused on Naruto. "That blond annoyance actually managed to get through and in record time. It makes me look bad when someone I expect to do badly does so well." She broke her glare. "Nothing I can do about it for the moment. Okay then, let me congratulate you on passing the second test for starters!"

Hiruzen smirked at the numbers. "I had to see this with my own eyes to believe it. Even with their special abilities, I half expected Team Eight to fail. On the contrary, they shattered the record for what could be eternity. Not only that, but the other rookies made it through as well. With this many genin, my special idea sounds like the perfect thing to do. I only have to revise my speech a little."

"Hokage-sama will now explain the third test! Listen up maggots!"

Hiruzen stepped forward. "Arigato Anko. … Now, before I tell all of you how the third exams will be carried out, I need to explain the true purpose of these exams." He lowered his hat over his eyes. "Have you wondered why all the allied countries have these exams? That reason is to promote friendship and raise the level of our shinobi; though a better explanation could be that the exams are … a replacement for war."

Tenten looked directly at him. "What does that mean?"

"If you look to the past, all of the current allied countries used to be warring enemies. In order to avoid wasteful fights, this competition was changed into the Chunin Exams."

"WASN'T THESE EXAMS JUST FOR BECOMING CHUNIN?!" Naruto had more to say, but Kurenai made sure that he wouldn't say things like that.

"This exam decides who has the potential to become chunin. On the other hand, it has the purpose of having aspiring genin risk both their lives and their pride for the prestige of their homes. Many important lords and village leaders will be attending. This is a way to show the strength of your village. Those who do poorly in the exams look weak and those who do well look strong. Looking weak is a well known way to invite enemies to your village as well as turn potential clients away. How well you do will tell the world that your village has a certain amount of power."

Kiba prepared his vociferation. "YEAH, BUT WHY DO WE HAVE TO RISK OUR LIVES IN THIS BATTLE?!"

"The strength of a country is in the strength of a village. The strength of the village is in the strength of the shinobi. The strength of the shinobi comes forth when faced with life and death battles. This is what gives meaning to the exams in the first place. It _only_ has meaning because lives are at risk, and that is why those before you fought for this same dream."

Tenten stood upon the balls of her feet. "But why do you say things like it being for friendship."

"I said that I didn't want to confuse you. When you fought in those exams, you won't easily forget those that you fought against. For shinobi, friendship is often born from conflict. You will all be risking your life, futures, and dreams in these exams along with the prestige of your village."

Gaara narrowed his eyes. "I don't care for all this. Just tell us what this life risking battle entails."

"Hai, I will begin explaining the third test."

The sound of coughing caught everyone's attention. A shinobi wearing the usual flack-jacket appeared before them. "Excuse me Hokage-sama. Will you allow me as the referee to explain the rest?"

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes at the jonin. "Actually Hayato, I would like to continue from here."

Hayato's eyes widened before he lowered his head. "Understood Hokage-sama." He stood up and walked to the side. "What's Hokage-sama doing?"

"Now I need to tell you about an important issue. … As I said before, many important people will be attending the exams. Unfortunately, there are more participants here than we expected. If we do not cut down the number of participants right now, the fights may continue for too long and mentally wear out the viewers."

This enraged Naruto. "WAIT A SECOND! ARE YOU TELLING US THAT WE HAVE TO FIGHT EACH OTHER?!"

Hiruzen smirked. "That was surprisingly perceptive of Naruto." He looked at Hinata. "I can understand why he is worried about that. With his bond with her, the last thing he wants is to fight her or to watch her fight without being able to do anything." His smirk grew into a smile. "It's a good thing that's not my plan."

"DO WE HAVE TO FIGHT EACH OTHER OR NOT?!"

"No." The eyes of everyone over genin rank widened and focused entirely on Hiruzen. He reveled in the attention his words obtained. "Typically, the plan for when the number of genin is over a certain number is for preliminary exams to be held where genin face each other one on one. Instead, I have found a new way to cut the number of fights in half while improving the entertainment for the spectators. This method will also help improve friendship between teammates, different teams, and possibly between different villages."

The Suna kunoichi narrowed her eyes. "Well, do you plan to tell us what you are planning already?"

"Of course. The option I am going to propose towards all of you is just that, an option. It is your choice to take it, but you'll be at a disadvantage if you don't."

Gaara let out some killer intent. "Get on with it."

The Suna jonin sweat a bit at this. "He isn't someone you want to anger Gaara."

Hiruzen only chuckled at this. "I see that some of you are a bit eager to continue. Fine then. To make it short, I am giving each and everyone of you the option to pick one other genin in this room as a partner to participate with in the third part one month from today. The exams will be two against two."

* * *

**So … who expected that? Out of all the twists that I planned, this is my favorite. This was just what I meant in the first chapter when I said that I pride myself in doing the original. Now all of you will have the privilege of reading two on two exams. This doesn't apply to just Naruto and Hinata.**

**Next Chapter: Fighting Arrangement.**


	28. Fighting Arrangement: Chapter 28

Underlined speech is thought.

_Italicized words signify emphasis put on the words or a change in tone. You should be able to figure it out from the choice of words and the character._

_Sentences of thought that are completely italicized were spoken by another character._

_Italicized sections are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is **bold**, it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is underlined, it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is (underlined), it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. Songs will not use quotation marks like normal speech._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words-with-dashes-between-them-consistently-signify-when-a-character-is-talking-too-fast-to-understand.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: As soon as they opened the scrolls, Iruka appeared from them. He started off disappointed before realizing that he was in the tower. He congratulated them for passing and left them to their devices. As they explored, Naruto and Hinata received some disturbing memories from a reaction clone that met against Gaara. The pair decided to sleep off their ordeal as Shino continued exploring. They were able to calm down with just some talking. As they slept, Shino ran into Gaara, with little actual incident. The time quickly passed by with only seven teams managing to make it through the second part. They all lined up at Anko's command for the Hokage's explanation of the exams. Once that was over, he told them how the third part will be carried out; two-vs-two.)

* * *

**Just to let you all know about a little detail, since Kiba was conscious and able to help, Sakura wasn't forced to cut her hair.**

**3-7-10**

**Fighting Arrangement**

In moments, the genin went in a uproar of talk. During this, Shino started to walk away. Hinata reached out to him. "What's wrong Shino-kun?" Shino simply looked at her for a few seconds. She then looked down bashfully. "Gomen; you are right."

As Shino walked around he observed the other teams. The female in the Oto team argued fiercely with her teammates. "What are you doing Dosa, Zaku?! Are you seriously going to leaving me to team up with one of these~ people."

Zaku smirked at her. "Oh well Kin. Me and Zaku want to actually do well."

She crossed her arms with a smirk. "I wasn't the one who was knocked out against that eyebrow wonder Dosu."

"Anyone would lose consciousness when slammed into the hard ground. Zaku could have softened the ground, but he was distracted by the one with the dog. I need Zaku in case I face him again."

She clenched her fists in anger. "_Fine!_ You two can die for all I care."

Gaara glared at his teammates. "I will fight alone."

Kankuro looked at his teammate. "It looks like its you and me Temari."

She nodded in response. "It think that's for the best. I don't know if Gaara will be able to restrain himself from turning on anyone if he gets excited."

Kiba looked at his teammates. "So, what do we do?"

Sasuke huffed. "Hokage-sama said that this is a choice. I chose to fight alone. If I have to fight one on two, then it means I can grow even stronger."

Kiba let out a sigh. "I know that you are disappointed Sakura, but you can still team up with me." The edge of his eye caught a green blur.

Lee stood right in front of Sakura rod stiff and a saluting. "Hello Sakura-chan. I know that this is abrupt and you still have your teammates, but I was wondering if you'd accept me as your partner."

"Are you sure Lee-kun. What about your teammates."

Lee smiled. "I usually train alone with Guy-sensei. That leaves Neji-kun and Tenten-chan to train by themselves most of the time."

"I might still hold you back. I wasn't exactly useful when you helped us out."

He gave her a thumbs up and a smile. "Nothing a little training can't fix."

"But...."

"Just go Sakura. I'd hate to say it, but you'd be better off with Lee than with me. I can find someone else on my own."

"YOU ARE A FINE COMRADE KIBA-KUN! I WILL FOREVER REMEMBER THIS!"

Kiba chuckled nervously. "No problem. I don't think my ears could handle being this guy's partner."

Kabuto's two teammates turned to him. The one wearing black cloths and clear sunglasses spoke. "What should be do Kabuto-sama. This was not part of the plans."

Kabuto adjusted his glasses and smirked. "This is just a field decision, but I think I'll go to the third part this time. I'm sure that you know that I can handle it alone Misumi, Yoroi. It'll be too risky to have a partner with any of us."

They nodded and smirked under their high collars. "Understood."

At the moment, Shikamaru understood what it was like to be the toy that two children were fighting over. Of course his teammates were more mature than that, but it was still troublesome. The fight for his partnership consisted of just staring at him, but it was enough to annoy him. "I'd do anything to get out of this. Choji is my friend but I'll never hear the end of it from Ino." He noticed Shino out of the corner of his eye. "Perfect." He then turned to his teammates. "I'm going to try drifting off."

Ino's jaw dropped. "I can't believe he did that."

Choji nodded. "Okay then Shikamaru. Do your best. We'll be fine with each-other."

Shikamaru barely smiled. "Sure thing Choji." With that, he began making a beeline for Shino.

Into glared at Choji. "What are you doing. Are you just going to let him leave like that."

Choji munched on some chips. "So you want to force Shikamaru to chose between us."

Ino crossed her arms. "He's just looking for an easy way out."

"That's Shikamaru for you."

"Fine, but how are we going to make this work. Both of our jutsu work better with Shikamaru helping us."

Choji looked down. "Maybe we can try figuring this out ourselves."

She let out a sigh. "Why'd Hokage-sama even do this? This idea is crazy."

"Don't know. I'd bet Shikamaru can figure it out."

She looked at the Nara talking to Shino. "I have to admit, Shikamaru's pretty smart."

Shino nodded. "I accept your proposal. This partnership should prove fruitful. I have heard tale of the Nara Clan's intelligence. This is an effective way to examine personally."

"I knew that Shino would find someone else. This further proves my theory. I should be able to figure it out by any unusual counter measures."

Kin looked around as genin started pairing off. "What do I do? I'm strong, but there's no way my jutsu will work two on one. The only people left are three from Konoha and that one from Suna. The last thing I want is to be teamed with someone local." She walked up to Gaara. "Hey little boy. You have good luck to have me as your partner."

She was instantly silenced by some focused killer intent. "I will fight alone." He turned away from her. "I don't need anyone but myself."

Kankuro and Temari watched the little event with the same thought. "Does that girl have a death wish?"

Kiba examined the other people alone. "That Gaara guy doesn't smell like a guy I want to be around. Kabuto really helped us out so he should be good."

Kiba walked up to Kabuto. Before getting out a word, Kabuto signaled for him to stop. "I want to try doing this alone. I am not going to partner up with anyone."

Kiba's eyes narrowed. "At least he isn't a jerk like Sasuke." He took a look around and noticed his last decision. "It had~ to be one of them. I still remember how they attacked us for no reason. Sakura even said they could be connected to that super powered freak who tried to kill us." He smirked as an idea came to mind. He lowered his head into Akamaru's ear. "You think we can learn something about that snake freak from her." The puppy yipped with what was an understandable yes for Kiba.

As soon as he walked up to Kin, she crossed her arms and glared at him. "You have _got _to be kidding me."

Kiba shrugged his shoulders. "It's not like I really care. As long as I have Akamaru, two on one fights really aren't that big a problem for me. I'm not sure about you though."

"That's a good way to get hurt little boy."

Kiba narrowed his eyes. "My name is Kiba Inuzuka for your information. Is that too hard for you."

Kin gritted her teeth. "I can't believe that I am getting played by a brat."

Anko's voice rang out. "YOU GOT THIRTY SECONDS MAGGOTS! MAKE YOUR DECISIONS!"

The Oto kunoichi clenched her fist. "_Fine,_ but don't expect me to play nice. Get in my way and I _will_ turn on you."

Kiba shrugged his shoulders again. "Fair enough. I'm Kiba Inuzuka, so what's your name?"

She paused for a few seconds. "Kin Tsuchi."

"Cool." Kiba turned towards the front and put his lips to Akamaru's ear. "I think I learned that from Kakashi-sensei. At least he taught me something." Akamaru yipped and followed with a kind of doggy laughter.

"What are you whispering about?"

Kiba turned his upper-body back to her. "So I can't have a private conversation with my buddy?"

"Tch." She looked to the side.

"TIMES UP!" Every genin turned to Anko. "LINE UP WITH YOUR PARTNER! IF YOU DON'T HAVE ONE, THEN STAND ALONE!"

One by one, the teams started to line up. Hayate coughed loudly, catching their attention. "Now, since you have all made your decisions ... there is something we need you to do. ... I would like one person from each ... team to pull a piece of ... paper from this box I am holding." He circulated to Yoroi, Dosa, Kankuro, Gaara, Kiba, Naruto, Shino, Kabuto, Choji, Sasuke, Lee, and Neji. Once they all had their papers, he took center stage where a whiteboard was waiting. "Now ... I would like each of you to tell me your name ... your partner's if you have one, and .... the number on the paper you took. I'd prefer you ... start from number one, but you still ... need to tell me your number to avoid confusion."

"I am Naruto Uzumaki and my partner is Hinata Hyuga! We are number one of course!"

"Neji Hyuga and Tenten, number two."

"Rock Lee and Sakura Haruno, number three!"

"Ino Yamanaka and Choji Akimichi, number four!"

"Kankuro and Temari, number five."

"Shino Aburame and Shikamaru Nara, six."

"Kiba Inuzuka, Kin Tsuchi and we are number seven!"

"Yoroi Akado and Misumi Tsurugi, number eight."

"I am Dosu Kinuta with Zaku Abumi and our number is nine."

"Gaara ... ten."

"Sasuke Uchiha, number eleven."

"I guess that just leaves me, Kabuto Yakushi."

After a few seconds, Hayate finished writing down the last name and number. He then turned back to them. "The number ... you drew will decide the order of your fights. What I wrote ... on this board shows who fights ... who one month from now. Simply put, number one will fight number two, three ... will fight four, and so forth."

Hinata's eyes widened. "Does that mean we have to fight Neji-nii-san?"

Kankuro looked at Gaara. "We are on the other side of the board from Gaara. That's good luck for both of us."

Sasuke looked at Kabuto. "I was expecting to fight a pair, but he should be a worthy foe."

Kabuto returned the look. "Now this is an interesting outcome. I'm glad I didn't quit at the second part like I usually do."

Hiruzen stepped forward. "I am glad that the majority of you have taken me up on my offer. If you had not, we may have had to have a few fights here regardless. As said before, all of you have one month to prepare for the third part. Use this time wisely to train, work on strategies with your partner, and possible spy on your competitors. We discourage the act of trying to eliminate competition beforehand, but we can't watch you twenty-four-seven. Still, any collateral damage in the village will mean disqualification for any individual involved." He smiled at them. "Now, are there any questions?"

Surprisingly, Shikamaru raised his hand. "I have one." The Hokage nodded. "This looks like a tournament. Does that mean only one pair will pass to become chunin?"

"That is a fine question. Many important dignitaries will be watching these exams. They along with high ranking shinobi like myself will act as judges. If there is an impressive showing, it's possible that everyone will pass. Conversely, there is a possibility that no one will pass. It is even possible for an individual to pass while their partner does not. It is true that those who fight more often have more opportunities to impress the judges. This is another reason attacking genin before the exams is not advised. Make sure all of you think carefully about what traits are being looked for in chunin. Any other questions." He looked around and noticed no one else raising their hands. "If that is all, then all I have to do to congratulate you and dismiss you. Good luck."

**The next day, in the Hokage's Office:**

"Hokage-sama, Hiashi-sama is here to see you."

Hiruzen smiled. "Let him in." The door opened, and Hiashi walked through. "It is nice to receive a visit from you."

Hiashi stood in the center of the room with a stoic expression. "Hello Hokage-sama."

"Hello Hiashi. I would ask what brought you here, but I am already certain of what it is. Is there anything that bothers you about my decision?"

Hiashi closed his eyes in thought. "I am partially concerned about my daughter's ability being announced to the shinobi world. I am even more concerned now that I have heard that Orochimaru has made an appearance. Hinata's power is just the type of thing he would be interested in."

"Don't worry too much Hiashi. I have reason to believe that Orochimaru is targeting Sasuke Uchiha. I know my old student well. He's not the type to take big risks unless he is certain of success. A member of the Hyuga clan is more than that snake can swallow."

Hiashi smirked slightly. "I agree. My daughter may be introverted, but she is far more sensitive to hidden emotion and chakra than any other Hyuga. With some training, even Orochimaru will be unable to sneak up on her."

Hiruzen smiled. "I am glad you think that way. It would be a shame to forbid them from reacting during the exams. The issue is keeping it secret until then."

"You say that as if you already know what I am thinking."

"Do I~?"

"I have already told my daughter to bring Naruto over to meet me by noon tomorrow. I am preparing some things to say to him."

"I'm afraid that you are enjoying this too much."

"We Hyuga may be generally stoic on the outside, but we can still enjoy some occasional fun. I have been hoping to play the roll of protective father for some time now."

"You are free to do so, but are you still able to keep their power secret?"

"The fact that you do not know how I would do so is proof enough that I can."

Hiruzen's eyes closed. "I see ... if that is the case then there is one last thing. Just because they are more powerful together, doesn't mean they shouldn't work on individual skills. I'm sure I can safely assume that Hinata will be under your care. I have someone in mind for Naruto, but the issue is getting him to show up. He's only recently returned to the village and is trying to have some _fun_. I should be able to get him to visit your compound sometime tomorrow afternoon."

"You should tell me his name. I need to let my guards know who to let in."

Hiruzen smiled widely. "Don't worry. I'm sure your guards will allow this man even a surprise visit."

**A random hotel:**

Kin walked through the door and caught sight of her male teammates. Zaku outright laughed at her. "How did your first day go."

She only glared at him in response. Dosu's uncovered eye followed her walking to a sliding door. "I hope there isn't anything we should be concerned~ about."

She stopped in place. "Tch, as if. The brat just wants me to see his family. The idea of it makes me sick to my stomach."

Zaku smirked. "Can't you ditch him?"

She glared at him. "I would if I could. I don't know why the brat keeps that stupid puppy with him, but it's not for tracking. I doubt I could hid anywhere without him sniffing me out."

Dosu nodded. "Don't forget that you are stuck with him for a full month."

She opened the door and walked through. "Who's fault is that?"

After a few seconds, Zaku turned to Dosu. "What do we do if she gets attached?"

Dosu closed his eye in thought. "You already know the answer."

**Random training area:**

"I know that I asked Sakura-chan if I could meet her parents, but I am still nervous. I can't believe that she asked me to wear something else and change my hair. She even asked me to trim my eyebrows." He let out a sigh. "This is just another challenge." His eyes lit ablaze. "IF I CAN'T HIT THIS POST FOR FIVE HOURS STRAIGHT THEN I WILL DO EVERYTHING SAKURA-CHAN ASKED ME TO!"

**Naruto's apartment:**

Naruto just finished taking a shower and his sweat was already ruining the effort. "What do I do?" He put his hands over his head and started pacing back and forth. "I am actually going to meet Hinata-chan's father tomorrow. I've never done anything like this before in my life. Sure, I met will Ojii-san after pulling a prank, but this is different. I'm totally lost. I know Hinata-chan told me to be myself, but I don't know if that's good enough. I can't even imagine what he'll do."

* * *

**I would add Shikamaru and Shino, but I can't imagine keeping up an entertaining home environment for an extended with either one. The fight is easy though. I am going to have a lot of fun with the next chapter. It is almost entirely comedy. I would go into the training, but that would ruin surprises for the exams, so I may skip over to them. That is a _may_ because I often write more than expected.**

**Next Chapter: Meeting New People.**


	29. Meeting New People: Chapter 29

Underlined speech is thought.

_Italicized words signify emphasis put on the words or a change in tone. You should be able to figure it out from the choice of words and the character._

_Sentences of thought that are completely italicized were spoken by another character._

_Italicized sections are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is **bold**, it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is underlined, it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is (underlined), it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. Songs will not use quotation marks like normal speech._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words-with-dashes-between-them-consistently-signify-when-a-character-is-talking-too-fast-to-understand.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: After hearing the news, the genin quickly began to pick out who they would pair with. Most stayed with team members. The more out-there teams were Sakura/Lee, Shino/Shikamaru, and Kiba/Kin. On the next day, Hiruzen talked to Hiashi about Naruto and Hinata. Kin griped about how she will have to meet Kiba's family. Lee prepared himself to try and meet Sakura's family the only way he knew how, train.)

00000000000000

**3-21-10**

**Meeting New People**

The sun only just recently broke the village's horizon as Kin walked around in full shinobi gear and a scowl plastered on her face. The few people who were out at that time wisely put a little distance between her and them. "I know that I may have to meet that baka's family, but the longer I can prolong that the better." At the top of a raised area, she noticed an unusual amount of steam. "Is that what I think it is?" She wasted no time getting there as quickly as she could. "They even have hot springs here. Aren't these Konoha people blessed enough?" She let out an angry sigh. "At least it is a way to wash off my scent."

Minutes later, Kin walked into the girls side with a towel wrapped completely around her body. Even though few people were there, it was her first time in a public bath and she had no interest in being exposed to anyone. Kin simply found a spot where she would be as far as possible from the nearest person and dipped her feet into the water. There was a rock conveniently placed behind her that she leaned onto. After just a few more minutes, she found herself relaxing while focusing entirely on the sounds of underground water bubbling up into the spring. She had no trouble blending the occasional distant conversation with the sound … that was until a new voice rang out. "ANKO MITARASHI HAS ARRIVED!"

Most of the women looked away or outright ignored her. Kin looked directly at her. "Why'd it have to be her~ of all people? She's not even bothering to cover herself up." Just before closing her eyes, Kin noticed something on Anko's shoulder. "That's … impossible. Why does she~ of all people have _that?_ Dosu will be very interested in this." Kin stood up and walked the edge of the bath leading to Anko.

Anko also noticed her. "If it isn't one of the genin brats. She's got some serious spunk to just walk up to me like this. I like a girl who doesn't scare easy. Hello maggot."

Kin's eye nearly twitched. "Keep calm. I didn't expect to see you here. That is an interesting tattoo you have there." A number of women that heard gasped, which quickly concerned Kin.

Anko smiled widely. "There are certain lines people who know me know not to cross. Since you don't know me, I'll let that slide just this once."

Kin's face paled as Anko walked by. "It … it really felt like she was going to kill me. If she really got that from Orochimaru-sama, it wasn't a good memory. It's too dangerous to delve into this any further." Just before leaving, Kin heard an unexpected sound. "That sounds like someone writing." She looked around and noticed that not one woman was doing that. She covered one ear to get a better sense of direction. Her eyes widened at another sound. "Now … I am mad."

She walked up to the bamboo walls and pulled out a senbon hidden under her towel. A small bell was attached to the senbon. She regularly began to tap the bell, causing the sound to ring out. After a few seconds, this caught the attention of the other women in the bath. Someone quickly noticed just why Kin was standing over there. "PERVERT~~~!"

Kin smirked and put her senbon away. "Take your time. He shouldn't be able to get very far." The women raced into the changing room. Kin slowly followed them with a strong feeling of accomplishment. When she exited the building fully dressed, that feeling grew with the sound of a man's screams. She let out a long happy sigh. "That was more fun than I ever expected to have here." Kin suddenly remembered why she went there in the first place. "Shimata! I never went in the water. Now I'm sweaty. I have to find somewhere else."

"THERE YOU ARE KIN-SAN!"

She stopped right in the middle of trying to jump away. "Too late."

**Naruto's Apartment:**

"What-do-I-do?-What-do-I-do?-What-do-I-do~?!" Naruto ruffled his hair in frustration. "Great! Now I have to brush again." After brushing his hair down, Naruto flopped onto his bed and gripped his pillow hard enough to tear into it a bit. "I'm never going to figure this out. I have to be there in less than an hour. I know Hinata-chan told me not to worry, but that only makes me worry more." Naruto could only spend his time fretting about what he should do until he had to leave for the Hyuga compound.

Naruto found the place just where Hinata told him it would be. It was just as she described too; a large area surrounded by a fancy wall with shingles on top and a fancier gate. It didn't take long for the gate to open after Naruto knocked on it. Walking through the gate didn't help at all with his nervous deposition thanks to the soulless white eyes of the two guards following him every step of the way. Like he was told, he walked through the first building he saw. The next thing he saw was a sight for sore eyes. "Naruto-kun."

Naruto released a tense sigh and smiled. "Hey Hinata-chan. She's a real miracle. Her eyes are nothing like the guys out there. I just hope that her father isn't like that." He suddenly noticed that Hinata was restraining herself from laughing at him. "What's so funny?"

This caused her to laugh a little stronger. "It's y…your hair."

Naruto pouted. "It's not funny. I tried to clean up a bit."

"My daughter is right Naruto-san. You look as if you wore a helmet on your way here. If he wanted to look presentable, he would have worn something other than that orange monstrosity."

Hinata faced Hiashi and bowed. "Good morning Otou-san." Naruto quickly repeated the action.

Hiashi nodded in response. "I know that we have plenty to talk about." He focused on Hinata. "I would like to talk to Naruto-san alone."

Naruto's heart skipped a beat just before turning to Hinata with an unconsciously developed puppy-dog expression. This tore at Hinata as she walked for the opening. "Gomen Naruto-kun."

After a few seconds, Hiashi spoke up. "I have heard that you have been getting very close to my daughter. That is fine for missions, but it becomes my business when this relationship becomes personal. I may be the head of a prestigious clan, but that only means that I have inherited my ancestor's talent for hiding a scandal. I already know all I need to know to hide a body properly." Even though Naruto didn't know him very well, the smile on Hiashi's face seemed uncharacteristic. "I hope that we have come to an understanding."

Naruto nodded shakily. "H-h-hai."

"Good. Now for the matter at hand." Hiashi looked at Naruto seriously. "There is one issue that I cannot ignore, no matter how many times I am reassured that it does not threaten my daughter. It is a matter of ignorance as much as safety." Hiashi took note of Naruto's confused expression. "I am talking about the incident that took place on the day of your birth."

Naruto's eyes widened. "You mean … the Kyubi."

Hiashi nodded. "From what I have heard, you have yet to tell my daughter about that secret. I would have done so myself if it weren't for the Third's Law. It is true that you don't know everything about my daughter, but I can assure you that you already know her best kept secret. It is not fair that you are keeping yours. If you don't tell her soon, I will~, regardless of consequences."

Naruto looked at the floor. "Hai, your right. I just…."

"You are concerned about her reaction, correct." Naruto nodded. "That is one thing you don't have to worry about Naruto-san. If she is anything like Hiromi, my daughter will only need some time to think about it."

Naruto looked up in confusion. "Who's Hiromi?"

Hiashi closed his eyes. "That is something you should ask Hinata later." Hiashi turned to the door Hinata left through. "Follow me." After a few seconds, they met with a very nervous looking Hinata. She automatically stood up from her seat. Hiashi continued walking before turning when he would be able to see both of them. "Outside of the one-to-one talk with Naruto-san, there is a more important reason I wanted to speak with the both of you. Your opponents will be training together often and working hard to keep their abilities secret. Your _reactions _are very powerful but cannot easily be concealed. Instead, you must find somewhere you are certain prying eyes won't find."

"Were Otou-san?"

Hiashi turned away before smirking. "Follow me." The pair looked at each other in confusion before following Hiashi down the hall.

Naruto was able to get a feeling about how big the compound was just by how long it took for Hiashi to finally stop. The door he stopped at confused Hinata even more. "Otou-san, th-this is your office."

Hiashi simply opened the door and walked through. "Close the door when you enter." Once they did that, he walked to the right corner of the five-by-five meter room and pulled out the tile two spaces to the left.

As he walked down some hidden stairs, Hinata's eyes widened and Naruto's lit up. "Your clan is so~ cool~~ Hinata-chan. You actually have secret underground hideouts and stuff. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I~ didn't know."

"Oh … whatever. Let's see what's down there." Naruto followed after Hiashi. Hinata smiled and followed after Naruto.

It wasn't long before they reached a large underground room. Outside of some shallow perfectly spherical craters and countless torches along the sides, there weren't any notable features to the room. "This is a secret training area created half a century ago. We have a number of jutsu that we would like to stay hidden, so we try to avoid using them publicly as much as possible. This room is designed to look like more rock when using the Byakugan from the outside." He turned to face them. "This is where the both of you will train together."

Naruto began to bounce up and down. "ALRIGHT~! NO WAY WE CAN LOSE WITH AN AWESOME PLACE TO TRAIN LIKE THIS!" He turned to Hinata. "Let's get started Hinata-chan."

"Stop!" As per Hiashi's command, the two froze. "Now isn't the time. Hinata, go over there." Hiashi pointed to the right of the stairs. "Naruto-san, there." He pointed to the left of the stairs. He waited for them to reach their positions. "Now you can react."

Naruto scowled. "What's that about?!" He started walking towards Hinata. "Make up your mind."

"NARUTO-KUN!"

In his ramblings, Naruto didn't notice Hiashi right in front of him. The next thing Naruto knew, he was rolling across the ground while clutching his stomach. "What hit me?"

Hiashi stood where Naruto was with his palm held out. "It was foolish of you to assume that I will _let_ you react. If you can successfully react, you complete this part of your training."

**In Sakura's Residential home:**

The sound of someone knocking on the door echoed through the building. "I'LL GET IT~." Sakura reached the door and paused just before opening it. "I really~ hope he at least change his hair and clothes."

She was disappointed when she opened the door and Lee looked no different from the last time she saw him. Before she could say anything, he bowed. "I apologize Sakura-chan. I thought about your request and decided that if I meet your parents, I must show them who I really am."

Sakura rubbed the side of her head. "Oh~, is this your new friend?" Sakura's head quickly turned to her mother. If one had to say, Sakura's looks defiantly came from her mother. Her clothes were even the same as Sakura's with the absence of anything shinobi related, any design and being a much lighter shade.

Lee automatically bowed at seeing her. "Good day Haruno-kaa-san."

She laughed into her hand. "My~, what a polite boy. I'd really like it if you call me by my name, Tsubaki."

Lee bowed again. "I understand Tsubaki-san."

She smiled. "Now then, should I make something for you?"

"No need Kaa-san. Lee-kun and I are going out to train." Sakura quickly left out of the door with Lee bowing once more before following her.

Tsubaki only smiled. "That Lee-kun looks weird, but he's a nice boy. I'll have something waiting when they get back."

"So how will we train Sakura-chan? Will we work on our stamina by running around the village ten to twenty times? Will we work on our attacks by hitting the posts a few thousand times? Maybe we should spar for a few hours to build up our over-all skills."

All through Lee's rant, Sakura's jaw dropped. "What have I gotten myself into?"

After just a minute of walking through the streets in thought, Lee finally broke her out of it. "Who is your friend here Sakura-chan?"

Sakura looked up then left to Lee. She then looked to the other direction. "Took you long enough. I saw you with your head down and this freak of nature so I was wondering how bad your depression was."

"HEY! Lee-kun isn't that bad."

Lee froze in place. "Not~ that~ bad~!"

"What are you two up too?"

"We are training for the Chunin Exams."

"So it's training. I'd be worried about you if it were something else."

"Excuse me." Both of them turned back to face Lee. "I am Rock Lee. What is your name?"

"Sagesumi." She turned back to Sakura and they continued walking. "How about I help you two? I can't imagine this guy being that strong."

"He's actually real strong. I saw him pull out a massive tree root right out of the ground. I would have been in real trouble if he didn't help."

Sagesumi looked at Lee with a skeptical expression. "If you say so~. He looks a little scrawny for something like that."

Just before his eyes lit up with flames, Sagesumi turned her back to Lee. "I'll show her what a genius of hard work can really do." As soon as they reached an open training area, Lee faced Sagesumi directly. "I'd like to spar with you if you please."

Sagesumi narrowed her eyes. "You sure you want to do that kid. You should try picking on someone your own size."

Lee narrowed his round eyes. "Your height is not that much of an advantage."

"Whatever." She turned to Sakura. "I'm going to hold off helping you train for the moment. This guy is starting to get me riled up." She took on a stance with her left side forwards and her right side at the ready.

Lee took on a stance with his legs together, his left arm behind his back, and his right hand in a come-hither position. After a few moments, Lee moved first and attacked. He jumped and rotated. "Leaf Whirlwind!"

Sagesumi ducked under the first kick and backed away from the second. Just after he landed, she pushed forward with her left and then right leg to slam her right knee into Lee's stomach. She followed with a quick right hook. She grabbed his arm with her left hand and prepared to throw him over her head. She suddenly found herself unable to lift him into the air, which threw her off balance. She leapt away to regain her balance. "What was that? That guy's too scrawny to weigh that much. There has to be some trick to it."

She watched Lee stand up and retake his stance. "You are very skilled Sagesumi-san. It will be a pleasure to train with you."

"He acts like my hits didn't even affect him. He's as tough as he is weird looking."

**Back at the gates of the Hyuga Compound:**

A man with long white hair, tattered clothes, and a bruised face walked up to the compound. "Today has not been my day. I barely had time to settle into my researching before I started feeling weird. Those women attacked me without mercy and ripped up my notes. To top it off, the old man sent me off to see Hiashi the instant I show my face. This better be as good as he tried to make it out to be."

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**And this concludes yet another chapter of my story. I can't imagine having any more fun writing for Lee and Sakura, but there is plenty to be had with the other characters of this chapter. I plan on putting a good deal of emotion in the next one.**

**Next Chapter: Revelations.**


	30. Revelations Part I: Chapter 30

Underlined speech is thought.

_Italicized words signify emphasis put on the words or a change in tone. You should be able to figure it out from the choice of words and the character._

_Sentences of thought that are completely italicized were spoken by another character at another time._

_Italicized sections are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is bolded, it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is __underlined,__ it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is __(__underlined__)__, it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. Songs will not use quotation marks like normal speech._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words-with-dashes-between-them-consistently-signify-when-a-character-is-talking-too-fast-to-understand.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: As she walked through the village, Kin decided to use the hot springs to wash away her scent. As she relaxed, Kin noticed Anko come in. Kin tried to ask about the curse mark, but Anko made clear that was taboo. While shaking off the fear, Kin unveiled a peeping tom. She left the springs only to realize she forgot to actually get in the water. As this happened, Naruto freaked out about meeting the Hyuga. When he went, the guards gave him cold eyes, making Hinata's eyes a relief. Hiashi made sure that didn't last long with some one-on-one face time. After that, Hiashi took both to a secret underground training ground. Their first training, react with Hiashi stopping them. Meanwhile, Lee met Sakura's mother. They left and suddenly ran into Sagesumi. It didn't take long for Lee and Sagesumi to suddenly get in the mood to fight each other.)

* * *

**I made a simple change into the chapter name. Revelations is now going to have two parts.**

**This chapter has a large focus on Kin. She needs considerable character development before I can fully integrate her into my story. I'm not the type of writer that jumps into development either. Kin should go into the background shortly after the exams.  
**

**4-4-10**

**Revelations Part I  
**

**With Kin, right after being found:**

Kin followed the subject of her annoyance with a scowl on her face. "I couldn't hold this off for even one day."

"I told Kaa-san and Nee-chan about you. I can't believe they want to meet you so much. Kaa-san is acting really weird about it. I really wonder what she is thinking."

"I'm scared to wonder about what she's thinking."

Kiba smiled widely. "It's really cool that you were so close to my place." Akamaru yipped. "We're already there."

Kin's eyes widened. "This is his place. I can't even see the house." All Kin could really see was a open grass field with a single path moving downhill. They took only a few steps before seeing a large disc fly by Kin's face. She fell back in time to avoid a brown blur from slamming into her from the right. "WHAT WAS THAT?!"

Kiba smiled nervously and held out his hand. "Gomen, I should have warned you about that. Whenever Kosshokumaru sees a disc, nothing will stop him. He's the fastest out of all our companions."

Kin swatted his hand away. "I don't need your help to stand up."

She quickly stood up. "You might want to take a step back." She scowled but did so. Just as she did, a brown blur cut straight through the grass at both sides of the path. "We should go before Shirippo throws the disk again."

Kin turned to her right. "They have all this field to play in and he throws the disc over the path."

Kiba laughed. "Actually the path is just used by visitors. We usually run right through the grass." Kiba stopped, sniffed, then smirked. He leapt out of the way as a small figure slammed into the ground. "You'll have to do better than that Katsugan."

A little kid looking just like a little Kiba, tattoo and all, glared at him. "I'll get you one of these days Nii-chan." He then looked up to Kin and smirked. "Hey~, is this your mate?"

Kiba blushed. "She's my _partner_ for the chunin exams."

Katsugan held his arms over his head. "Partner, mate, same thing."

He blanched at something thin and sharp in front of his face along with Kin's dark glare. "You're walking on thin ice there little boy." The kid quickly turned away and ran.

Kiba laughed nervously. "She's almost as scary as Kaa-san on a bad day." Only seconds after continuing, they began to see the building. Kiba smirked the instant the path sloped down. Akamaru leapt out of Kiba's jacket. The instant he landed the two bolted downhill. "YAHOO~~~!"

A drop of sweat formed on the back of Kin's head. "Something tells me that this is normal for them." She followed them at a leisurely pace. "He must do this a lot to know how to avoid rolling down." She didn't take long to reach the place. Instead of a single home, it looked like a collection of buildings containing what needed to be kept private while the rest was open to the world. The obvious dinning room only had a roof overhead and what was needed to hold that roof up. "This place really seems to suit a dog clan."

Kin saw a woman wearing full Konoha jonin gear walk out from behind a building. She looked somewhat like Kiba except her face was even more feral. She smirked at them. "I thought I smelled you coming pup."

"I'd be worried if you didn't."

She laughed out loud. "That would mean you actually got clean." Both paused for a bit before laughing together. After that, the mother turned to Kin. "Is this one your partner. She looks a little like your Nee-chan."

"She does, doesn't she?"

Kin's jaw dropped. "I can't believe that I am being compared to one of these~ people."

The woman walked up to Kin. "You must be Kin-chan. I am Tsume Inuzuka, the alpha of the pack."

Kiba pointed at himself. "I'm next."

Tsume smirked. "Only because Hana refused the position." He pouted as Tsume sniffed the air. "Speaking of Hana, she's on her way back. It should be a half-an-hour for her to get here."

Kin narrowed her eyes. "You know your daughter's schedule that well."

Tsume blinked a few times before laughing. "Of course not. I smelled her leaving her clinic and it takes half-an-hour for her to walk here."

Kin's jaw dropped again. "Is that even humanly possible?"

"We are eating lunch soon. Explore a bit while you wait."

Kin nodded as Tsume dragged Kiba away. "This is a pretty good opportunity. I should take this chance to learn about the layout here." After walking around a bit, Kin let out a sigh. "What's to learn here. It's just a few buildings and a lot of open space. No hiding spot would matter here anyways. Their sense of smell is insane." While looking around, she noticed a pure white dog lying on the ground. She looked at the dog for a few seconds before turning back to the entrance. At the top of the steep hill, she saw a woman holding a clipboard in front of her face. She wore a white medic's outfit and had three dogs following her. The dogs upper halves were a ashy-brown color while the lower halves were white. Kin waited for the woman to make her way down.

Moments later, she stopped right in front of Kin. "You must be Kin-san. I noticed your scent next to my brother's." She lowered the clipboard and smiled.

Kin's jaw nearly dropped. "She's beautiful."

"It think I know what you are thinking. Knowing my brother and Kaa-san, they compared you to me. Honestly, they prefer to tell people apart by scent, not looks. Don't take them seriously." Hana sniffed the air once. "You should join us for lunch. We're having some of my favorite."

As they headed for the dinning room, Kin looked at the white dog again. "Something feels off with that one."

"That's Shiroi. She doesn't move much since she lost her partner."

This piqued Kin's interest. "How?"

"It was on a pursuit mission. Her partner rushed ahead and was burned alive in a trap. For any Inuzuka, seeing a partner die is the worst thing that can happen. I'm surprised she even has the will to keep eating."

Kin's eyes widened. "Burned." She shook her head. "That's in my past. What matters is right now."

Hana looked back a bit as she noticed a change in Kin's scent. "I may have stressed her unintentionally."

Minutes later, the large group of Inuzuka dogs and people sat at a table close to the ground. Kin took a good look at the dog sitting next to Tsume. It had the same white underside as the three identical dogs with the upper half being pitch black. A intimidating accessory was a black eye patch over the right eye. She turned back to Hana, who looked nothing like the others except for her having the same tattoo on her cheeks. Hana took notice of this. "I actually look more like Tou-san than Kaa-san."

Kiba smirked. "Too bad Kaa-san scared him away years ago."

Tsume glared at him. "He~ ran out on us a just one and a half years ago."

Hana chuckled. "We have our story and you have yours."

Tsume pouted. "What does a mother have to do to get some loyalty out of her pups."

Kin nearly found herself laughing. "I agree with your pups Tsume."

Kin turned to find the source of the surprisingly deep voice. She slid back suddenly when it turned out to be the dark furred dog. Kin pointed in hysteria. "Th-th-th-that dog's talking!"

Everyone, including the dogs, started laughing. This excluded the black dog, who barked loudly to put an end to the laughing. Tsume smirked at him. "You really like to ruin the fun Kuromaru."

He looked to Kin. "I only want her to hear me when I say not to point at me like that." He focused on her. "Didn't your parents teach you better." She averted her eyes with an angry expression. Kuromaru was able to catch sadness in both her scent and eyes. "I see. Those things happen in this world."

Hana quickly picked up on the subject and turned to Kin. "It was a fire, wasn't it?"

Kin quickly stood up. "STAY OUT OF MY BUSINESS! IT SHOULDN'T MATTER TO YOU HOW MY MOTHER WAS KILLED!" She quickly stomped away.

Kuromaru looked down at his raw meatballs. "You humans can be so irrational." He took one into his mouth.

Tsume stood up. "I'll talk to her. That girl's in serous need of some good advice." She dashed out of the dinning area.

She had no trouble catching Kin before she could leave the area. She grabbed the genin by the arm. "LET GO OF ME!"

"Since when did throwing a tantrum get you what you want?" Kin started to pull out a weapon, but Tsume grabbed her wrist. "You aren't thinking straight if you thought that would work. I have something to say to you and you can't stop me." Kin clenched her teeth and adverted her eyes. "You may have already prepared yourself for the _'you're not the only one'_ speech, so I'll skip it. Someone is going to always have a better life than you and you can't do anything about it. No one on this planet decided who would be born where. All you can do is live your own life without worrying about the lives of others. Live and let live. You have to make your own luck in this world." Tsume let her go and walked away.

After a few seconds, Kin dropped to her knees and hammered the ground with her fists. In her frustration, she didn't even know what to think. She ran for the forest in her desire to be alone.

**The Hyuga Underground Training Room:**

Hiashi broke his attention from the pair at the sound of a tone. "We have a guest. The both of you should consider today a warm-up for the following month." The two genin fell to their rears in exhaustion. Both have had much better days, but it was somewhat visible that Naruto was dealt with more roughly. "You should not rest Naruto-san. This guest is not here for me."

This confused both of them. Hinata focused on the blond. "I can't imagine anyone who would show up here."

Naruto pretty much had the same idea in his head. He followed Hiashi up the stairs and all the way back to the gate. "Who's _that~_ geezer?"

The man Naruto was looking at had a huge head of spiky white hair going down to his back. A thin red bar made it's way down to the chin starting from the outside corner of both eyes. His clothes were in three layers: a open red vest with a yellow dot on both sides, a greenish-gray outfit, and a fishnet shirt barely visible over his chest. He also wore a large metal forehead protector with the kanji for oil on it. He also looked like he went through a matching the one Naruto went through just now. Hiashi walked up to the man. "Hello Jiraiya-sama. It is an honor to have you visiting. Perhaps after you have finished your examination, we can share a drink."

Jiraiya made sure to keep himself stoic. "That's a typical Hyuga for you. Work first then pleasure. At least an old clan comes with really good sake." He turned to Naruto. "I haven't been told why, but the old man believes that the seal is going to seem a bit different. That and Naruto being here can only mean he's hiding something from me. Okay kid. I want you to come with me. We are going to need a little privacy." Jiraiya headed for a smaller building to the right.

Naruto watched him in confusion. "You should go Naruto-san. Jiraiya-sama has come a long way and was asked directly by Hokage-sama to see to you. It would be disrespectful for you to keep him waiting."

Naruto followed the unfamiliar man into the building. As soon as there were alone, Jiraiya turned to Naruto. "I want you to lift up your shirt."

Naruto pointed at him. "WHAT ARE YOU, A PERVERT!"

Jiraiya became stiff. "AS IF I'D BE INTERESTED IN A BOY!"

Naruto smirked. "Then how about this. Sexy Jutsu!"

Naruto was surrounded in smoke. When the smoke cleared, there was a nude beauty with Naruto's blond hair in long pigtails and the same whisker marks on his cheeks. A small stream of blood went down a nostril. "She's ... perfect~. The body, the chest, the legs; everything is perfect." He dashed forward faster than the normal eye could follow and began examining Naruto closely while wiggling his finger's in a creepy way..

_Her_ expression was one of complete disgust. Naruto canceled the transformation and maintained the expression. "You're the biggest pervert ever."

Jiraiya smiled widely and continued wiggling his fingers. "You bet your bottom yen gaki."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "He admits it."

Jiraiya stood up straight and turned serious. "Back to business. The old man told me to check up on the seal keeping the fox inside of you. He thinks it is acting strangely." Naruto's eyes widened. With nothing to say, he lifted up his shirt. "I need you to channel some chakra so I can see it."

Naruto nodded and formed a generic hand-seal. "I really hope nothing is wrong."

Jiraiya started up a long string of hand-seals. After a few seconds, his hands started glowing with chakra. He placed his hand on Naruto's stomach. After a few seconds, Jiraiya's eyes widened as he started pumping more chakra into his jutsu. "This is impossible. In all my time examining seals, I've never seen anything like this." He removed his hand and looked at Naruto seriously. "Tell me right now gaki. Have you been messing around with the seal."

This surprised Naruto. "OF COURSE NOT! I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WAS THERE! IS SOMETHING WRONG!"

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. The door to the room opened, revealing Hiashi. The Hyuga head walked up to Jiraiya. How did the analysis go Jiraiya-sama."

"Looking from the outside, I couldn't see any changes so I used a jutsu for analyzing seals. I decided to stop before I could finish."

"Why?"

"The more powerful a seal is, the more chakra it takes. The amount needed was much more than expected."

Hiashi closed his eyes. "I see. I can understand why that would be perplexing."

Naruto started getting frustrated. "CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN WHAT'S GOING ON?!"

The two turned to the blond. Jiraiya then sighed. "Not long after the fox was sealed inside of you, I examined the seal just like I tried to now. This time is taking more chakra than that time."

"Can you safely assume that the rest is the same."

"Hai. ... What I'd like to know is how this happened. If it continues, worrying about the fox would only be considered foolish."

Hiashi smirked and headed for the door then opened it. "You may come in Hinata."

As she walked in, Jiraiya's expression became more and more bewildered. "Something really weird is up."

Hiashi locked eyes with Jiraiya. "You may or may not know this, but the third part of the exams will be having some genin fighting in pairs. Naruto-san and my daughter are one of those pairs. They will now show you why they are a pair."

Hinata looked up at him in surprise. "Aren't we k-keeping it secret?"

"It should be fine for a single moment."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Wait." They all looked at him. "I want to tell Hinata-chan everything first."

* * *

**Oops, I did it again. I have left you all with yet another cliffhanger. Naruto telling Hinata about everything has to be one of the milestones of most stories. I am going to enjoy trying to write that. I want to come up with a good response for Hinata. I don't want her accepting it outright, but I won't write her shunning him either. I'll have to walk the thin line between the two responses.**

**Next Chapter: Revelations Part II.  
**


	31. Revelations Part II: Chapter 31

Underlined speech is thought.

_Italicized words signify emphasis put on the words or a change in tone. You should be able to figure it out from the choice of words and the character._

_Sentences of thought that are completely italicized were spoken by another character at another time._

_Italicized sections are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is bolded, it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is __underlined,_ _it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is __(__underlined__)__, it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. Songs will not use quotation marks like normal speech._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words-with-dashes-between-them-consistently-signify-when-a-character-is-talking-too-fast-to-understand.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: After being found by Kiba, Kin had to follow him back to his clan compound. This compound was a large open field with a single living area hidden behind a hill. The clan members proved to be very active. After meeting with Kiba's closest family members, Kin had dinner with them. The conversation quickly went sour, causing her to leave. Tsume stopped Kin and had a few words with her. This left the Oto shinobi in a confused and emotional state. With Naruto and Hinata, they were still busy trying to react despite Hiashi's interference. Jiraiya arrived, signally the end of training. The sage took Naruto into a room alone to examine the seal. He was surprised when he couldn't examine it. He and Hiashi talked about it, to Naruto's annoyance. Hiashi then asked Hinata into the room so they could demonstrate a reaction. Naruto suddenly decided to explain everything to Hinata then and there.)

* * *

**I can understand why so many writers turn off anonymous reviews. What kind of weak minded jerk attacks someone who can't even defend themselves properly? The guy was complaining about how Hinata was dealt with less roughly in the training with Hiashi. This was just a little detail based on a hidden detail. I write details like that based on how my characters think in my story. Hiashi is a protective father in this story, and as such will not harm his daughter more than necessary. He doesn't care for Naruto as much so he won't hold back. Hinata won't improve anymore than what I think is possible for her. Being dealt with less roughly doesn't mean she isn't inmproving.**

**This marks the end of my rant.  
**

**4-18-10**

**Revelations Part II**

In the forest around the Inuzuka compound:

Kin found a grotto of tree limbs and hid herself inside. She sat down and wrapped her arms around her legs. "I won't cry. I'm not the weak little brat I used to be. I'd rather die then go back to that."

She failed to notice the presence behind her. "Hello Kin-chan."

The genin stood up and faced the voice in a defensive stance. Seeing that it was Hana angered her. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

Hana narrowed her eyes. "I wanted to talk to you too. Kaa-san and I have different ways of doing things and I think you need a little of both. I have an idea of what you are feeling right now."

"HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY UNDERSTAND?! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ME!"

"Is that my fault that I don't know? All I do know is what I can piece together. It's not like you told us anything."

"SO WHAT?! MY LIFE IS MY LIFE! JUST LET ME LIVE IT!" Her eyes widened. "That's what her Kaa-san told me."

"I see that you've been listening to Kaa-san. Still, life can sometimes be difficult to take on alone. When other people stop caring if you live or not, you may stop caring yourself."

"WHY DO YOU THINK YOU CAN UNDERSTAND ME?!"

Hana's eye started twitching a bit. "I'm patient, but she's working on my nerves. Why do you think I can't?" This dumbfounded Kin. "I am a well known vet in Konoha. Over a hundred people bring their pets to me. I also deal with animals working with shinobi. I am attached to each and every one of them. I've already had to see some die under my care and I know that there will be more. The worst were the few times I was asked to _end their suffering_. I knew it was coming eventually, but it still made my heart skip. I know that these deaths will continue. Until then, I will do my best to keep them healthy." She narrowed her eyes venomously. "Did you even try to save your mother?"

Kin's eyes widened. Memories began to flow into her mind.

**Flashback:**

Barely five years of age, Kin watched her mother stumbling into the room. The dark haired woman looked at Kin for a few seconds before placing a loaf of bread on a short stand. "There's your meal for tonight. Don't waste it by scarfing it down. … I'm going to sleep." The door suddenly opened. Kin's mother turned to him with a look of annoyance. "I think you bothered me enough for today."

"Don't be like that Gin-chan. I had some real fun with you." He glanced at Kin. "How about you ditch the little girl and come with me?"

Gin narrowed her eyes. "My life isn't for sale. Leave before I make you."

The man only laughed and picked up the loaf of bread. "Those are big words woman. I know you liked me." He took a bite out of the bread before scowling. "What kind of slob baked this?!" He threw it to the ground and spit out what was in his mouth.

Gin walked to him with stiff arms and a glaring expression. Before he could get off a word, she punched just under his sternum. She then pushed him right out of the open door and glared at him venomously. "I know a lot of ways to make men cry. Come back again and you'll learn them firsthand."

The look in her eyes didn't leave the man with much confidence. He stood up and stumbled while running. "Y … YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!"

Gin walked back in and slammed the door shut. "I hate those guys. Doesn't he realize that I faked?" She picked up the bread, blew on it, and picked out some hairs before putting it back on the stand. She glared at Kin for a second before heading back to her room. "Cursed maternal instincts."

That night, Kin went to sleep in her bead like she usually would. She woke up at the feeling of nature's call. The five-year-old quickly forgot that feeling at the sight of bright orange light. Turning to the source, Kin saw a mass of flames. The moment she saw a dark figure moving, Kin ran out the door. No sooner did she, she was grabbed. Frightening chuckling was heard overhead. "Look what I have here, the little girl." He laughed some more and forced Kin to look at the burning building. "That's what happens to women who don't know their place." He smirked widely. "Maybe it's best that they learn young."

Kin closed her eyes in fear. Acting on something her mother told her countless times, Kin brought back her elbow and hit the man in a _sensitive_ area. The instant he let go, Kin ran away as fast as she could. Because she wasn't looking, she ran into someone else. This person had long dark hair, a white complexion, and purple marks around his eyes. He licked his lips with an unusually long tongue. "You're feisty~ little girl."

**Flashback end:**

Things became fuzzy after that point, but she knew what came after. Because of the flash of memories, Kin was able to regain her mental footing. "WHAT COULD I DO?! I WAS FIVE! I CAN'T SAVE SOMEONE WHO IS DEAD!"

Hana sighed. "Can you at least remember what she was like? You'd be surprised how much remembering someone can make you feel."

"WHAT DO YOU KNOW?!"

That was finally enough for Hana as she pushed Kin into the tree. "I'm nineteen, you are fourteen. Five years can make a real difference. I know these things because I have done them. Don't try to tell me that something doesn't work if you haven't done it yourself."

Kin glared at her vehemently. "I KNOW BECAUSE OF WHAT I WAS TOLD!"

Kin's eyes widened and Hana's narrowed. "It can sound a lot different when you say it out loud. The way you said that makes you seem like a puppet that can't think for her self. Is that what you want to be all your life?" As Hana backed off, Kin slowly sat down. "I think that you've had enough. Think everything you've heard through."

A few seconds after Hana left, Kin grabbed her hair in frustration. "Why did this have to happen to me?"

Hana quickly made it back to Tsume. The Inuzuka leader looked at Hana seriously. "What do you think?"

Hana sighed. "I think you are right. Her feelings are a little more conflicting than they need to be. I'm sure she's trying to convince herself that we are enemies rather than members of a rival village. We may need to look into them. Should we tell Kiba-kun?"

Tsume thought for a second before shaking her head. "I don't think so. He has it in his head that she's his partner. We don't need him asking her about it and making things worse."

"What's the plan?"

"I'll tell some of the skilled jonin. You need to find a way to keep watch over Kiba in the meantime."

Hana nodded. "Let's go back for now. You should go back first just to take off some suspicion."

Tsume narrowed her eyes in confusion. "I don't get how you think about those things."

Hana smiled. "That's how I am." Tsume shook her head and left. Hana simply walked back.

**The Hyuga Compound:**

Hinata looked at Naruto in confusion. "W-what do you m-mean by … everything?"

Naruto gulped loudly. "I just wanted … I-I should s-say … y-you n-n-need to know … wh-when I w-was little."

Hinata started blushing a bit. "I've never seen Naruto-kun so nervous before." Her eyes glazed over a bit. "Kawaii~."

"Can-we-sit-down?"

This caught Hinata's attention. "H-hai~."

Hinata sat on her knees while Naruto sat crossed legged. The blond closed his eyes and placed his hands on his knees. "I'm just going to blurt it out!" He took a breath. "The Kyubi is sealed inside of me."

Hinata's eyes widened as a few seconds passed. "N-no way … i-it can't be. It can't be tr-true."

Naruto clenched his fists tightly. "It is. I found out about it before we became genin. I've been keeping it from everyone … even you. The Kyubi was sealed in me when I was born, October 10th. It has been in me all this time."

Hinata looked at the floor. "Why? Why did this have to happen? Just when things were going well, I have to find out Naruto-kun has a monster inside him. Why can't life be fair for once?" She looked up enough to see Naruto's legs and noticed something. "He's trembling. Is he scared of the Kyubi? If so, why so suddenly? He's never shown any signs of being scared of something." Her eyes slowly began to widen. "It _isn't_ the Kyubi. Naruto-kun has accepted it already. The one he's scared of … is me." Hinata clenched her fists. "No! I won't let you!"

Hinata shocked everyone with both her outburst and by jumping into Naruto with her arms wrapping around him. It took a second for Naruto to collect himself. "Wait, are … aren't you scared?"

She gripped his clothes. "I … I don't know. Part of me wants t-to run … but another won't let go. Nothing makes sense anym-more." Hinata slid her fingers between the fingers of Naruto's right hand.

Naruto quickly noticed the buildup of energy. "Hinata-chan?"

"When we react, everything seems to make sense. Things aren't so scary and I can think clearly. I don't understand, but I think I can if we react." Naruto nodded and closed his eyes.

_O**n** a helples**s** but prett**y** ((night))  
Soothin**g** and (comforting)  
And prospering on the eyelids  
Surrounded by the lively and bright fields of (heaven)  
As (I), at this moment  
Make this promise to join like (twins)  
Like a string of breaths  
Winds grab a hold of **(**us**)**  
I, at this moment  
And through (eternity)  
Wear the winds of the red soul  
As I make this promise_

_(And bind my soul to yours)_

Hiashi watched them carefully. "This would be the first time I've seen this from the beginning. It truly is a sight to see."

Jiraiya's eyes were saucer plates. "WHAT THE HECK IS THIS?! I'VE BEEN IN ALL THE SHINOBI NATIONS AND MOST OF THE VILLAGES! I HAVE COLLECTED INFORMATION ON EVERYTHING INTERESTING … BUT I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF ANYTHING LIKE THIS!"

The ethereal Hinata opened her eyes slowly. "We've done this many times before. I can't imagine something like the Kyubi being so close."

Hiashi stepped forward. "We believe there is a reason for that daughter."

She looked at him. "What?"

Hiashi closed his eyes to collect his thoughts. "On the joint mission before the team change, both of you spoke with your respective sensei. While speaking with Kakashi-san, Naruto-san said something interesting. We don't understand it completely, but we believe that some energy you give off while reacting with Naruto-san suppresses the Kyubi's chakra. You simply being near Naruto-san suppresses the chakra to an extent."

"THAT'S IT!" Everyone turned to Jiraiya. He noticed their confused expressions. "I guess I should explain. I'm really good with seals, but I have only heard the theory behind this. The idea is that you can set two seals up to seal a single object in intervals. It's believed that both seals could grow stronger over time instead of weakening. The thing is that getting two seals to work together in such unison is near impossible. You can't draw the same seal twice because it would be the same as painting a red wall red. One would have to turn the other off and instantly turn on. Because sealed object always popped out at that point, everyone gave up. Even the great me couldn't figure it out. What I'm seeing is different, but is based on the same theory."

Hiashi nodded. "Do you think there will be any adverse affects on the seal?"

Jiraiya looked down. "I'm not sure." He smiled widely. "But I have an idea. How about you train under me for the month. I can keep a close eye on you and make sure nothing is wrong."

Hiashi narrowed his eyes. "Jiraiya-sama is hiding his true intentions. Something is weighing in the back of his mind." 

Naruto looked at him suspiciously. "Are you any good?"

Jiraiya's jaw dropped. After a few seconds, he began posing by bouncing on this left foot with his arms out. He began spinning his head in wide circles. "How~ could you possibly~ not know~~ who I am~? Entire armies~ tremble at the sound~ of my name. I am the great~ sage … Jiraiya~-sama~~."

Naruto turned to the form of Hinata behind him. "Have you heard of him Hinata-chan?"

As Jiraiya face-faulted, Hinata focused on Naruto with wide eyes. "Hai~. He's one of the Three Legendary Sannin. I remember that he was the Fourth's sensei."

Jiraiya managed to recover just before they looked at him. "So you do~ know who I am."

Naruto ignored him as he bent over in excitement with his eyes closed. "I can't believe it. I'm getting trained by the guy who trained the fourth." In preparation to jump for joy, Naruto started to bring his arms up. He opened his eyes, and saw a light green object coming in slow motion.

After a loud 'thunk' sound, Naruto fell onto his back. The reaction between Naruto and Hinata immediately broke. She dropped to her knees and started shaking him. "Naruto-kun, Naruto-kun! Are you okay?!"

Because he was looking up in pride, he didn't see what happened. He looked back and saw that even Hiashi Hyuga had a surprised expression. He the looked back at Naruto, who's forehead was turned a bit red. A large drop of sweat started to form. "Don't~ tell~ me."

Hinata nodded. "He knocked himself out … with me."

Jiraiya palmed his face. "The gaki is a complete baka."

* * *

**This chapter is a little shorter than some others. I also didn't end it with a cliffhanger like I have been doing lately. But~~ … it was funny eh? I'm still not ready to get rid of Naruto's stupidity traits. I think I am really learning how to create complete and sudden changes to the mood of a scene. It's one of the traits I love about manga and anime. I just hope that my portrayal of Hinata's reaction was good enough.  
**

**Next Chapter: The Third Part. **


	32. The Third Part: Chapter 32

Underlined speech is thought.

_Italicized words signify emphasis put on the words or a change in tone. You should be able to figure it out from the choice of words and the character._

_Sentences of thought that are completely italicized were spoken by another character at another time._

_Italicized sections are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is bolded, it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is __underlined,_ _it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is __(__underlined__)__, it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. Songs will not use quotation marks like normal speech._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words-with-dashes-between-them-consistently-signify-when-a-character-is-talking-too-fast-to-understand.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: Just after getting away from Tsume and finding somewhere secluded, Kin was quickly found by Hana. The vet tried to be gentle, but Kin made that difficult. The words that were spoken triggered some memories of her past. After feeling like she made her point, Hana left Kin alone. She then made her way back to her mother. They talked about the potential implications concerning the way Kin was acting. Back at the Hyuga compound, Naruto struggled to tell Hinata the truth so he just blurted it out. More than anything else, Hinata felt confused. She saw Naruto trembling and glomped him in reflex. They reacted at her request. Jiraiya explained his theory on the seal and then offered Naruto his tutelage. After learning of Jiraiya's strength he accidentally knocked himself out with Hinata, much to everyone's embarrassment.)

* * *

**I really was able to focus for writing this chapter. Listening to music really helps with that. I was able to put a lot of typing into a completely original idea that has been lying around for months. If you ever see something titled "Fighter's Amongst Warriors," it's mine.**

**5-2-10**

**The Third Part**

Jiraiya found a nice secluded area that just happened to have a waterfall some young women liked to visit. Since they weren't there at the time, Jiraiya set the unconscious Naruto down. He looked down at the blond with a serious expression. "Nothing could have prepared me for that surprise. That energy they gave off was unlike anything I've felt before. It gave off a sense of … peace. I have no reason to doubt it now. Naruto is the child of prophecy ... and Hinata is his companion. I have no doubt that reacting increases their power, but the feeling they gave me is what really interests me." He noticed Naruto starting to stir. "Hey~ there gaki. How are you feeling?"

"Ugh~~~. What hit me?"

"There's more than one way to answer _that_ question. You could say either yourself, Hinata, or both of you. I've seen a lot of _not so smooth moves,_ but that was the most extreme case ever. What kind of guy knocks himself out with his own girlfriend?"

Naruto blushed brightly. "SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!"

"So you are just with her to use that power?" Naruto immediately lunged at him only to be dodged. "Oh~, looks like I hit a sore spot. I'd be worried if I didn't."

Naruto glared at him. "Take that back."

Jiraiya held out his open palms and moved them back and forth. "Hai, hai~ … I take it back." Naruto relaxed a bit. "Gezz~, you can't take a little joke." Naruto only pouted at him. "I gotcha. I won't say it again."

Naruto crossed his arms. "Good." He then looked around. "Where is this?"

Jiraiya smiled. "This is where I'm going to train you. I think I'll start with teaching you how to summon."

Naruto looked at him suspiciously. "Huh?"

Jiraiya sighed. "Let me show you." He bit his thumb to draw blood and went through five hand-seals. He then placed his bitten hand on the ground. "Summoning Jutsu." A complex design appeared on the ground for and instant before being covered in white smoke. The smoke cleared, revealing a large toad.

This automatically got Naruto riled up. "What was that? That toad came out of nowhere. That's so cool~."

Jiraiya smiled. "This is the Summoning Jutsu. It lets me summon some friends to help in a fight."

Naruto stared at the toad. "So this giant toad can fight."

Jiraiya laughed. "Actually this guy is a bit on the small side. He can still hold his own though."

"Awesome~~! Can I try?"

Jiraiya held out his hands. "Slow down there gaki. First you have to sign a contract." The summoned toad let its tongue out and placed a large scroll it was holding on the ground. Jiraiya unfurled the scroll. "This scroll has on it the names of everyone who's signed the Toad Summoning Contract. You need to sign your name in your blood and place your fingertips at the bottom."

Naruto smiled while pulling out a kunai to nick his thumb. He then signed his name. To do his fingerprints, he touched all this fingers to his thumb before placing it at the bottom of the block. "Done."

Jiraiya furled the scroll and the toad took it back before disappearing. "Alright then. You've already seen me do it, but I'll explain how anyways. You first have to prepare a sample of your own blood before performing the hand-seals and placing your hand on the ground. Who you manage to summon is proportionate to the amount of chakra you put in the jutsu."

Naruto nodded and started the hand-seals. "Summoning Jutsu." He placed his hands on the ground in the same way Jiraiya did. When the smoke cleared, a small tadpole appeared with tiny stubs acting as the beginning of its feet. Naruto looked at it with a blank expression. "What's … that?"

Jiraiya chuckled. "That… would be a tadpole gaki."

This frustrated Naruto. "Eh~, I wanted a big one."

"Summoning isn't as easy as it looks gaki. You need a lot of chakra to summon a strong toad. You may have a lot right now, but it is still not enough. I think you should try learning how to use the other chakra at your disposal."

Naruto had to think for a second. "You mean the fox. What about~…?" He just looked down.

"Don't worry gaki. You should have no trouble with that. The seal keeping the fox in check is much stronger than it should be. It shouldn't cause you any problems. First you'll have to use up all off your normal chakra."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "You sure."

"Would I be telling you to do this if I wasn't sure? You'll be fine."

"Alright~." He thought for a few seconds before coming up with something. "Shadow Clone Jutsu." A fairly large group of clones popped into existence. "ALRIGHT GUYS! LET'S FIGHT IT OUT AND SEE WHO'S BEST!" They all pumped their fists into the air in agreement.

Jiraiya smirked. "I see. This is a perfect way to exhaust his chakra. I guess even baka can have bright ideas."

**In the village:**

Kin walked through the streets with a somber expression on her face. "Why did this have to happen? Things would have been simple if they'd keep their noses out of other's business. Now I don't even know what to think anymore. Have I really been a puppet on a string all this time?" She hopped back at a kunai landing at her feet. When she looked up, she saw Dosu looking down on her. "WHAT THE DEVIL ARE YOU THINKING?! YOU COULD HAVE HIT ME WITH THAT!" Dosu tilted his head as a signal for her to come up. Kin clenched her fists in frustration. "I do _not_ need this right now." She hopped up to the rooftops.

Dosu looked at Kin with his one eye. "I could have hit you with a piece of paper."

"I don't want to hear your jokes?"

"It wasn't a joke. Someone that distracted can be ambushed by civilians."

She glared at him. "What's it to you?!"

Dosu narrowed his eye. "Don't play coy with me. It is clear why you're so occupied."

Kin starts to sweat. "I haven't forgotten why we are here?!"

"So what if you have~?"

Her eyes widened as he walked by. "What … do you mean~?"

He stopped for a second. "Ask me when we're completely alone. Just make sure you're prepared to do well in the exams."

Before Kin could face him, Dosu was gone. She then rubbed her forehead in frustration. "As if things couldn't get worse. Now this had to happen." She looked back to the Inuzuka clan compound. "Is Dosu telling me to keep training with him?"

**In a nearby area:**

"Temari, are you worried about Gaara's fight."

She half nodded. "It's not like I am worried about him getting hurt. It's that he's fighting two opponents. He may be forced to go further than he should."

"It's not like we~ can stop him. Being our younger brother doesn't mean much to Gaara. The best we can hope to do is stay out of his way."

She sighed. "I know. At least we don't have to worry about him meeting up with that blond kid too soon. Ever since that encounter in the forest, the air around him has been constantly tense."

"I know how you feel Temari. I'm scared to get close to him now. A touch could make him snap."

"You shouldn't think of him that way … but I won't blame you. Nothing has scared me as much as that night."

"I know. I couldn't eat for a week."

**In the Nara home:**

Shino looked down at the shogi board and the pieces that littered it. "I concede." Shikamaru returned all of Shino's pieces while picking his own up. Shino did the same. "The intelligence of the Nara clan has not been exaggerated. This seems counteracted by their less than ardent nature."

Shino noticed Shikamaru's mother coming through. "You're _still~ _playing shogi! Shino-kun came here to train! You can waste all your time you want, but you won't be wasting a guest's time!"

Shikamaru let out a sigh. "Troublesome." He stood up. "Let's go Shino~."

"Don't use that tone! You should be happy to train with a new friend! Now march!" She pointed to an open field. Shikamaru sulked in that direction. Shino faced the mother and bowed slightly before following his partner. The overbearing mother smiled. "What a polite boy." She walked through a door. "SHIKAKU~~-KUN~! THAT PAPERWORK BETTER BE FINISHED WHEN I FIND YOU~!"

**Training Ground 11:**

Sagesumi smirked at the genin fighting her. "It's a good thing I kept Suikomu. This kid's really strong. The standards are ridiculous in this village." She raised another stone spire to keep Lee at bay. "Sakura is way behind." Said pink haired kunoichi was resting on the ground a fair distance from the battlefield. Sagesumi used Suikomu to block another kick from Lee. "That's enough. I'm exhausted since I haven't been stealing chakra."

The stone spires in the area collapsed. Lee gave her a thumb up. "That was a fine spar Sagesumi-san. Your jutsu are certainly unique. When will we train again?"

She took a breath. "What about Sakura? She needs training more than you do."

Lee's large eyes somehow widened. He then bowed to Sakura. "Gomen, I forgot."

"It's … okay." She gasped for air.

Sagesumi shook her head. "Sakura must have really pushed herself. She'll have to go through hell to catch up." She smirked. "That could be fun to be a part of. Hey, Lee." Lee looked Sagesumi's way. "Let's meet here tomorrow and work on Sakura together."

He gave her a thumb up before turning to Sakura. "YOSHI! Let's jog back!" Sakura couldn't protest as Lee pulled her to her feet and started dragging her at full running speed.

Sagesumi laughed. "This could be fun."

**The BBQ House:**

Ino dragged the Akimichi away. "MY FOOD~~!"

"SHUT IT CHOJI! WE'RE TRAINING WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT! WE NEED TO GET OUR BUTTS IN GEAR!"

"BUT MY FOOD~~~!"

She clonked him on his head and continued dragging his comatose body. "You are _not_ going to be the reason we lose! I'm not losing to billboard-brow"

**In the forest:**

Countless weapons littered the ground along with some shallow craters. A short distance away, Tenten collapsed to her knees while panting. "That's enough Neji-kun. I can't go on any longer."

Standing in the middle of a crater and a swirl of dust, Neji relaxed. He walked over to Tenten as she stood up. "We will work on our combinations tomorrow."

Tenten watched him walk away. "I'm really starting to worry about him. He's been intense before, but never like this. I'm already starting to believe what Guy-sensei told me."

**Flashback:**

"You wanted to talk to me Guy-sensei." Tenten froze at the expectedly serious expression on her sensei's face. "What's … wrong?"

"I need you to keep an eye on Neji-kun in your fight next month."

"Why."

He sighed. "Despite how calm he looks, even Neji-kun has things and people that set him off. One of those people is Hinata-san."

Her eyes. "What are you saying Guy-sensei. Neji-kun would never~."

"I'm afraid we can't be sure. Neji-kun's flames are not as youthful as I would like. He could still do something rash."

**Flashback End:**

Tenten looked down with a sad expression. "If this fight never comes, it'll still be too soon. This month is going to be torturous."

**The village hospital:**

A nurse walked into a room as part of a routine check on patients. The one in this room was there because of chakra exhaustion from applying a necessary seal to him. One look at the bed and she freaked. She ran up to a bed occupied by a straw dummy. She then ran out of the room. "I have to tell someone."

Just outside the door, Kakashi had Sasuke hanging off of him. Kakashi's eye formed a U-shape. "Discovered already. We should get going."

He was exhausted, but Sasuke still smirked. "Finally, some real training."

The weeks passed by as each group of genin trained for the exams. Lee and Sagesumi, with occasional help from Might Guy helped Sakura build up her strength and stamina. Shino and Shikamaru worked more on putting their jutsu together than on physical conditioning. Ino forced Choji into practicing his jutsu daily. Kin managed to put her personal issues aside and train with Kiba. Sasuke spent his time training under Kakashi in a hidden location. Most of the others had enough confidence in themselves to spend their time resting.

As for Naruto and Hinata:

In their underground training ground, Naruto and Hinata broke off their reaction and fell to the ground to sleep. Hiashi looked down on them with a semi proud expression. "They have made great progress. It didn't take them long to devise a way to react despite my interference. They have also greatly increased the time they can spend fighting together. Above all else is that wind. It makes me feel as if the Hyuga's best defense is a joke. They are more than ready."

**The day of the exam:**

As they planned the day before, Naruto and Hinata met in the morning. Both had serious expressions on their faces. Anything they had to say to each other for this day, they said the day before. They simply nodded and smiled before making their way to the arena. The feelings in their hearts were a combination of excitement and worry.

The entered the front gates of the arena, which had a couple chunin looking over it. On the other side of the gate, they find an open battlefield. It is mostly a grassy area surrounded by patches of trees. In the center was every other pair or individual. Strangely, Sasuke was the only one missing. "Where's the Teme?"

Hinata's attention was on her cousin. "Now's my chance." The two stood together like the other pairs.

Up in the highest point, Hiruzen spoke to a jonin with a burn scar on his face. "Have they found Sasuke yet?"

"No. We have ANBU looking for him with no luck." He leaned in closer to whisper. "Could Orochimaru have gotten him? If so, it could be too late."

Hiruzen closed his eyes and let out a sigh. "I understand. A lot is going on. First Tsume comes up with some worrying theories about the sound shinobi then we find out Hayate has been killed."

Hiruzen notices a figure dressed similarly to himself to his left, except the color is white and blue. "Well, well, Kazekage-dono. I'm glad that you could make it. You must be tired from your journey."

"Not at all. After learning the unique change in the layout of the fights, I could not miss it."

Hiruzen laughed. "Hai. That is true. It was an inspired decision. Actually, that inspiration will be fighting in the first match."

The Kazekage looked down to the group of genin with interest. "Then this should prove an interesting first match.

Hiruzen nodded then stood. "I THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING TO THE KONOHA CHUNIN SELECTION EXAMS! I'M SURE YOU ARE AS EXCITED AS I AM TO SEE THESE PAIRS DISPLAY THEIR SKILLS AND TEAMWORK! THE FIRST ROUND WILL BE SIX FIGHTS WITH A RECORD BREAKING TWENTY-ONE PARTICIPANTS! YOU WILL SEE THE SKILLS OF EVERYONE STRONG ENOUGH TO PASS THE FIRST AND SECOND STAGES! LET THE EXAMS COMMENCE!"

A new proctor showed up before the genin. "Alright I am Genma Shiranui and will be your proctor for the third part. The rules are very simple, there are none. You win if your opponent dies or acknowledges defeat. If I decide it's over, then I'll stop the fight. Any questions." All of the genin remained silent. "Good. Let's get this underway. Naruto Uzumaki, Hinata Hyuga, Neji Hyuga, and Tenten; you four stay here. The rest of you go to the waiting room."

Up in the stands, a pair of life long friends wearing their jonin outfits looked down on the fight. The one with a cloth over his nose smiled. "This is going to be interesting. We have two Hyuga in this match."

"Yeah, but one pair has a year of experience on the others. I don't think beginners luck will do the other two very much good at this point."

"They could have hard time if you look at it that way."

Sitting right next to them, Sagesumi smirked. "These two know even less than I do, even though I didn't get much from Sakura. Naruto and Hinata are decent on their own, but they are a force to be reckoned with together. I can't wait to see it first hand."

Shikamaru had his eyes peeled. "I was hoping to learn something about those two from Shino. He didn't give me a single hint. I have to watch carefully to figure this out."

Gaara looked down at Naruto with a smile on his face. "Now~. Show me that power of yours." His siblings looked at him with worried expression.

A simple group of four made their way to some empty seats. "Kaa-san. They're actually fighting."

The dark haired mother chuckled. "I see that Inari. Why don't we cheer them on?"

He smiled widely. "You don't have to tell me twice."

The older man smiled at them before turning to the other long haired member. "Would you like a play-by-play Haku-kun?"

The feminine looking boy smiled. "I'd appreciate it Tazuna-san. My eyes aren't what they used to be."

Tazuna laughed. "I thought it was the old people who are supposed to say that." He looked down at the field. "This is something else. We get to see our heroes fighting together. I can't wait."

Genma looked between the two pairs. It was obvious to him who each decided they will fight. "NOW, THE FIRST FIGHT … BEGIN!"

* * *

**Yet another one. I hope no one thought last chapter was a reprieve from cliffhangers. I've left all of you with more questions than you will think to put in a review. I'm turning the exams into a collection of many different complicated events. This should be fun.**

**Next Chapter: New Songs.**


	33. New Songs: Chapter 33

Underlined speech is thought.

_Italicized words signify emphasis put on the words or a change in tone. You should be able to figure it out from the choice of words and the character._

_Sentences of thought that are completely italicized were spoken by another character at another time._

_Italicized sections are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is bolded, it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is __underlined,_ _it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is __(__underlined__)__, it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. Songs will not use quotation marks like normal speech._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words-with-dashes-between-them-consistently-signify-when-a-character-is-talking-too-fast-to-understand.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: Jiraiya took Naruto to an area where he could train him privately while still being able to sneak peaks at some women. Since they weren't there, Jiraiya was available to teach Naruto summoning. Since his chakra was insufficient, they decided to start on learning how to control the Kyubi's chakra. Out in the village, Kin made her way from the Inuzuka compound. Dosu showed up and left her confused. All the other genin spoke with their partners, often dealing with personal quirks and worries. They trained for the weeks this the day of the exam. Hiruzen spoke with the Kazekage as the genin waited for the fights to begin. He even mentioned that one of the pairs was the reason behind the exam's setup. As spectators finished gathering in the stand, the fight began.)

**

* * *

**

**5-16-10**

**New Songs**

Without hesitation, Naruto and Hinata charged forward.

**Flashback:**

"N-Naruto-kun. I w-want to ask you something."

"Sure. What is it Hinata-chan?"

"C-can you let me f-fight Nii-san?"

Naruto's eyes widened. "Didn't your father say you shouldn't try to fight Neji alone?"

She looked down. "I-I know. I … just want to test myself. I-I need to see how strong I am, t-to see if I've changed."

Naruto thought about it for a second before nodding. "Okay, but we react if there's trouble."

Hinata smiled. "Hai."

**Flashback End:**

Tenten watched Hinata head straight for Neji. "I didn't expect this. I need to try and intercept her." Before she could move in, Naruto was there to intercept her. She backed off to avoid getting kicked. Her quick eyes took notice of the field. "Unbelievable. They've already split us up. They're in perfect sync. I thought Neji and I had the best teamwork."

"Shadow Clone Jutsu." A group of Naruto moved in on Tenten. She quickly pulled out a chain scythe and attacked them with the weight at the end.

Her eyes widened when she hit one and it disappeared. "These clones are solid." She barely had the time to pull in the weight and swing the scythe at the others. Her eyes widened again when they all disappeared. "Behind me." She turned around to see a large group of them in the air. They all pulled out a kunai and threw them down at her. Tenten leapt into the air to avoid the attack. Another group appeared at the ground and threw their kunai with the aerial group. Tenten clenched her teeth and pulled out a scroll. From that, she pulled out a group of assorted weapons to intercept the ones Naruto threw. "I'm usually good against groups like this."

The group spread out to surround Tenten. Standing directly in front of her, the original smiled. "This is working perfectly. I usually come up with a good idea on the spot. Hinata-chan's given me some good plans to start my fights with."

He turned to where Hinata and Neji were already fighting. Chakra flew from both of their hands as they flew past the hands of the other. Movements were hardly wasted as they worked to attack and dodge simultaneously. Neji aimed an attack for Hinata's face, but she bent back and sprang back up in and instant. "What is this? Since when has she been like this? I expected to be able to intimidate her."

The two continued exchanging blows continuously. "Nii-san is strong. I don't think I can win this." She narrowed her eyes. "I can still grow. I'll keep going as long as I can. I'll learn all I can." Hinata bent back again, this time going into a back flip and kick. She quickly landed. "I can't do anything that will make us lose though." She moved right back into the fight.

Neji clenched his teeth. "This is taking longer than I thought it would." His jaw relaxed. "No matter. It only looks like we are even. She hasn't even realized this yet."

"He's closing my chakra points. To think Nii-san is this strong. I've only just started on closing chakra points." She worked to control her emotions. "Arigato Nii-san."

Up in the stands, Sagesumi watched both as carefully as she could. "They're a lot stronger than before. Still, this isn't what I want to see."

Her attention turned to the two chunin next to her. "This is better than I thought it would be. If this keeps up, the blond will be able to win his side and help his partner."

The other one narrowed his eyes. "Not yet. We both know that a year's experience means a lot."

Sagesumi turned her focus back on the field. "Maybe, but not when they _really _get together."

"What's happening Tazuna-san?"

"They're fighting one on one. Naruto-kun is doing well but Hinata-chan looks even with that guy."

"I see. I believe they want to test their individual skills. This is good since they won't become overly reliant on each other."

The Hyuga looked down at the fight carefully, focusing on the fight between Hinata and Neji. Hizashi smiled and turned his eyes towards his twin. "I can see that Neji is winning. He truly is the most talented among the Hyuga."

"I do not disagree, but my daughter is more gifted than either of us previously thought. She realized from the first blow that her chakra points are being closed. Neji hasn't realized because she is able to hide all quirks that would reveal this."

Hizashi turned his head. "I haven't seen this talent in Hinata-sama."

"It was revealed in this last month. Her true talent lies in empathy and emotion. She has learned to read even my emotions. Her combat skills have also risen exponentially."

"That may be so, but she could get hurt." He turned his attention to the fight. "It is no secret that the way Hinata-sama covers her head feels like mockery to the branch family. I have gotten over this, but Neji has not. He may not stop at closing her chakra points."

Hiashi smirked. "I am not worried. I've come to understand how my daughter thinks. The match will be in Naruto-san's hands when all her points close. There is no better time for her to take that form than when she can't attack."

Hizashi's eyes narrowed and focused on Naruto. "That would be obvious. Hiashi-sama would not point it out without a hidden meaning."

Hinata dodged an attack. "He's open." Hinata attacked Neji's chest without hesitation. Only after her hit landed did she realized why he was open. "I fell for it." She quickly created some distance and pulled out a pair of kunai.

Neji's eyes widened a bit as his Byakugan deactivated. "You're mocking me."

This surprised Hinata. She shook her head. "No. What m-makes you think that Nii-san?"

"Don't' play with me! You've mocked us for years! Do you know how we feel about having to hide our mark? We know you aren't cursed! You don't have to draw attention to it!"

Hinata's expression turned sad. "He's angry … but that's not all. You're confused." Neji's eyes widened a bit. "You don't know what you should do. You have to decide between your frustration and your duty. It must be hard on you Nii-san."

"Don't act like you understand. You have no idea what it's like to be marked as different from everyone else."

Hinata lowered her gaze. "You're wrong."

Neji prepared to attack, but stopped as Hinata's hands moved up to the back of her head. She loosened her headband and lowered it to hang from her neck. Neji's focus was on the gem on the front of Hinata's head. "What is that? I've looked at her countless times and never saw anything unusual. It looks like it's floating over her hair while still being attached." Hinata placed her hands together, causing the gem to start shimmering.

_Entangled in a (dream) and entwined in the (essence.)  
__The soul of (language)  
__Which stretches out time and lures them (forward.)_

Neji's eyes widened. "She's doing something." He moved in to attack.

_We can tear (through) …  
__The spectrum of ((illusions))_

Wind began to blow from Hinata's position. The wisps of wind rose up and hit against Neji's eyes. He froze in place to shield his eyes from the winds. "What is this?"

Even Tenten was being blinded by the wind. "Where did this wind come from? I'm defenseless." She anticipated an attack, but it didn't come. The wind finally died down and she looked up. When she did, she saw that Naruto and Hinata were together holding hands.

_On a helpless but pretty **(**night**)**  
Soothing and (comforting)  
And prospering on the (eyelids)  
Surrounded by the lively and bright fields of (heaven)  
As (I), at this moment  
Make this promise to join like ((twins))  
Like a string of breaths  
Winds grab a hold of (us)  
(I), at this moment  
And through (eternity)  
Wear the winds of the red soul  
As I make this **(**promise**)**  
(And bind my soul to yours)_

The glow of light and gusts of wind faded. When it did, the sight turned the entire stands silent. Tenten's eyes started to widen and sparkle. "It's … so… beautiful~."

Sagesumi smiled at the expressions of the two jonin next to her. "These two look like complete baka." She focused on the weapon that was supposed to be Hinata. "I have never seen something so spectacular in my life. My body is covered in goose bumps."

Hizashi was completely flabbergasted. Hiashi smiled at this. "You seem surprised."

"Is this the meaning behind your words?"

Hiashi nodded. "Hai. This power is the meaning behind my words."

"I don't mean to question you, but you approve of this?"

"Naruto-san has proven that he sees my daughter as a partner, not as a tool. I have no qualms. Though Naruto-san doesn't know that yet."

"What of the elders?"

"I have ultimate authority over my children. Since they are shinobi of the village, Hokage-sama will also get involved if necessary." He smiled. "Relax for now. You'll want to see their ultimate defense."

Hizashi's eyes widened slightly. "An ultimate defense. It must be impressive for the Hyuga Head to praise it."

Tazuna looked down at the field. "They've done it."

Haku nodded. "I can see the light. I only wish I could see it completely." The three family members turned towards Haku.

A majority of the genin looked down at the field with wide eyes. Ino was first to speak. "WHAT KIND OF TRANSFORMATION JUTSU IS THAT!"

Shikamaru shook his head. "I don't think it's a jutsu." Shikamaru turned to Shino. "Is this why they are paired?" Shino simply nodded.

Kankuro and Temari also had wide eyes. Temari looked over to Gaara. "This isn't good. Gaara's already showing his bloodlust. He could snap."

Kin narrowed her eyes. "Is this why you don't want to fight them?"

Kiba chuckled. "Yeah. I saw them cut down a bunch of trees by accident."

Kin looked down there. "Accident~?"

Up in the highest point, the two Kage looked down at the event. Hiruzen smiled and adjusted the pipe in his mouth. "This is the first time I have seen this first hand. I must say, I've never felt my heart beating like this in a long while. I am really excited to see what those two will do."

The Kazekage's widened eyes relaxed a little. "Could this be the reason behind the change you made to the exams?"

Hiruzen nodded. "This is the most unique power in all of the Elemental Nations. It is unique to them alone."

The Kazekage turned his head towards the Hokage. "She will no transform for anyone else."

"It is more like she can't react with anyone else. Naruto was the first person Hinata reacted with. One of my jonin even tested this personally by transforming into Naruto. It is a monogamous skill. Even if it wasn't, I wouldn't want to separate them."

"Perhaps it is like marriage. Till death do they part."

Hiruzen glared at the Kazekage and pulled his pipe out. "I don't like what you are insinuating. I would never allow such a thing to happen."

The Kazekage looked him in the eye. "I was simply making … conversation."

Hiruzen looked down at the field. "We should focus on the fight. I don't want to miss anything."

"Neither do I."

Neji looked on at the spectacle before him with wide eyes. "Wh … what is this power?"

Tenten finally snapped herself out of her weapon worshiping state. "I have to do something." Tenten reached into a pouch hanging off the back of her pants. She then pulled out a scroll and unfurled it. She jumped into the air and surrounded herself in a single helix reaching the ground. In the next moment, she began unleashing a stream of random weapons down at Naruto and Hinata.

"Naruto-kun!"

"Got it." Naruto performed a wide swing, tearing through the ground with the blade before unleashing a gust of wind towards the group of weapons. All of them were knocked away while some were damaged. They watched as some of the weapons were sent almost far enough to reach the spectators. "Uh~ Hinata-chan."

"Hai. We need to be more careful."

Tenten clenched her teeth. She looked over to her partner. "Neji!" He snapped out of his trance and backed up to where Tenten was standing. "What do we do?"

He thought about it a bit before relaxing. "It's just a big sword. I'll get close while you attack from the sides."

"But."

"I won't be hit by something that large. I'll knock them off balance. That's your chance."

She nodded and pulled out two scrolls and lowering to one knee. Hinata took notice. "They're planning something Naruto-kun."

Naruto smirked. "We can take anything they got."

Hinata's ethereal form nodded. "Okay, but don't go too far." Naruto nodded and turned the blade around so he'd attack with the blunt side.

Neji charged forward. "They're underestimating me. That doesn't scare me." He ducked under a wide swing and launched a palm strike.

On reflex, Naruto jumped back. "That training under Hinata-chan's father really helped."

Of course, Neji didn't give them enough time to make use of their range of attack. It took some effort on Naruto's part to avoid being hit, but he was being pushed back. The blond started up a diagonal attack. Neji quickly took on a stance both recognized. Hinata was most surprised. "That couldn't be."

"Rotation!" He began to rotate quickly as a dome of chakra formed around him. This chakra easily bounced off Naruto's angled attack.

Tenten took the signal and leapt into the air. "Twin Rising Dragons!" The two scrolls she had unfurled quickly as she began pulling out streams of random weapons and tossed them at the pair. The weapons arched to the sides and came in where Naruto and Hinata were."

"Spin!" Naruto followed Hinata's command, holding the weapon out and spinning. This effectively brought all the weapons to the ground. Neji took advantage and managed to land a blow on Naruto.

Naruto backed away quickly while clutching his stomach. "If I didn't feel all those attacks from Hinata-chan's father that would really hurt."

Hinata noticed all the weapons of Tenten rising up from the ground and hovering in the air. "The trees!" Naruto turned to the foliage as weapons started to rain down on them. He noticed Neji coming from behind and swung the sword. The resulting wind forced him back in time to get in the trees. "Clone." The ethereal Hinata crossed her forefingers.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu." The clone continued running as Naruto stopped behind a tree. "What now Hinata-chan?"

She smiled. "We'll have to defend ourselves."

Naruto smiled in response. "Oh yeah. I forgot about that."

Neji and Tenten watched as the clone popped out of the bushes. His eyes could see were the original was hiding, but both looked the same to him. "Impossible. No clone can fool the Byakugan."

The clone prepared an attack. "NEJI, IT'S REAL!" He heard her just in time to avoid the wind tearing through the ground, stumbling onto the ground in the process. A group of weapons tore through the source of that wind, reducing it to a puff of smoke. "How can he use those clones with his hand covered like that."

_I sensed you in a comfortable dream (tonight)  
__I sing this song to dream of you **(**again**)  
**__Whoever gets in the way of this dream will regret (it)  
__For I will send them into a deep, deep **(**sleep**)**_

Neji's eyes widened. "They're doing something again." He noticed them stepping out from their hiding spot in the moment of silence. "Tenten!" She reacted by sending all her weapons down on the pair.

_**Do not**, do not … Touch us!_

The weapons rained down on them like a storm. Many spectators wondered if the pair survived the attack. Of those confident of their survival, Hiashi was the most confident. "Neji won't touch them again."

The weapons were suddenly blown away by an expanding dome of wind. This dome quickly contracted to a group of thick visible winds surrounding the pair. The pair could be seen through a number of open spots. Despite these open spots, it was obvious to Tenten and Neji that this wind was impenetrable. As the pair walked forward, any weapons in or on the ground were blown away. Neji's eyes slowly widened. "It is like a continuous Rotation."

Naruto smiled and looked up at the form of Hinata behind him. "You ready Hinata-chan."

She nodded. "Hai."

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**And this marks the end of yet another chapter. After this fight, I don't think I can write very long fights. I'll probably have two per/chapter.**


	34. The Hyuga's Strife: Chapter 34

Underlined speech is thought.

_Italicized words signify emphasis put on the words or a change in tone. You should be able to figure it out from the choice of words and the character._

_Sentences of thought that are completely italicized were spoken by another character at another time._

_Italicized sections are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is bolded, it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is __underlined,_ _it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is __(__underlined__)__, it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. Songs will not use quotation marks like normal speech._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words-with-dashes-between-them-consistently-signify-when-a-character-is-talking-too-fast-to-understand.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: Naruto and Hinata moved first, splitting Tenten and Neji apart. Naruto quickly put his Shadow Clones to use distracting Tenten. The constant attacks from different angles helped in keeping the weapon specializing kunoichi off balance. As these two fought, the Hyuga cousins matched their offenses against each other. Neji turned out to be slightly stronger, able to close the chakra points in Hinata's arms. The moment this happens, she backs away and spends a few moments talking with Neji. This talk ends with her revealing her Elemental Gelade. Hinata distracts Neji and Tenten with the effects of a solo song before reacting with Naruto. The fight continues with Neji and Tenten working together to defeat the reacting pair, with limited success. Naruto ran into the trees, using a Shadow Clone to distract Neji and Tenten. This gave them time to sing one of their newest battle songs.)

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**5-30-10**

**The Hyuga's Strife**

Tenten watched the barrier of wind carefully. "There are a lot of gaps in there. It should be easy to attack through them." She pulled out a kunai and tossed it at a gap that would lead to Naruto's leg. As soon as the projectile reached the spot between the two wisps of wind, it was redirected towards the ground. Tenten clenched her teeth in frustration. "That didn't work. Let's see how much they can take." Tenten pulled out two scrolls and placed them on the ground. She leapt into the air, with the scrolls unfurling and surrounding her in a double helix. She began flipping continuously through the air while sending down a rain of weapons. As the weapons reached the pair, they were redirected to the ground. The scrolls fell to the ground as Tenten landed. "Not yet!" Using wires attached to the weapons, she lifted them into the air and sent them all to the trees behind the pair. "Neji!"

As Tenten ran by Neji, he quickly began running in the opposite direction. Hinata quickly picked up on what was happening. "The wires! Vertical slashes to the sides!" Naruto reacted quickly by performing an upward slash to his left before spinning around to a downward slash on the other side. This effectively cut all the wires connected to Tenten's weapons.

While looking Naruto directly in the eyes, Neji's own eyes widened. "That was Hinata-sama's voice. That must mean she is still consciously aware of what is happening in that form. She can see everything that is happening right now and tell her partner at any time." An image of Hinata standing back to back with Naruto appeared in Neji's eyes. "These two have covered the weakness the Hyuga have strived to defeat for centuries. They have obtained a perfect defense without a blind spot."

Tenten looked directly at Naruto's back. "Now's my chance." She pulled out another kunai, this time attaching an explosive note to it. She pulled her arm back before throwing the projectile towards the ground at the pair's feet.

The projectile didn't get far before the wind barrier suddenly expanded. The weapon exploded well out of harms way. "That won't work Tenten-san. I am watching everything you are doing."

Tenten's eyes widened. "Was that Hinata's voice? It sounds like it's coming from Naruto." She clenched her teeth. "If she's really watching me, then she's also controlling that wind. I'd hate to say it, but this wind is even superior to Neji's Rotation. My weapons are completely useless against them."

Naruto stood straight as a rod while holding the blunt end of the weapon with his free hand. Neji dashed forward. "I have to stop them." He took a stance with both his hands held out in a straight line pointing at the ground in front. Both Naruto and Hinata realized what the attack as. "Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms!" With just his index and middle fingers, Neji began attacking rapidly.

Up in the stands, the eyes of the Hyuga twins widened. Hiashi looked towards Hizashi. "Where you aware Neji was capable of that jutsu?"

Hizashi shook his head. "No, I wasn't. He showed me the rotation once before, but this is new to me."

Hiashi let out a sigh. "I see." He turned his focus back on Neji. "Neji truly has the strongest Hyuga blood in generations. It is a true shame that I have been born first."

This surprised Hizashi. "Do not say that. You have done well."

Hiashi closed his eyes and developed a small smile. "Arigato brother." He reopened his eyes. "Still, it is a shame that the strength of Neji's Hyuga blood will be his downfall in this match."

"What do you mean?"

"I have faced against that technique before. Even in my hands, no attack in the Hyuga arsenal can break through that wind. This is what I meant before when I said Neji will not touch them again."

Hizashi looked at his son's defeated expression sadly. "Truly, fate has robbed you of an opportunity to display your true potential. I only hope this doesn't defeat your spirit."

Neji's arms hung freely at his sides. "That's it. I cannot think of anything else to do."

_We shall (join)  
As we're doing (now), we shall **(**join**)**  
With the voices of the winds  
From the fields of rich soil **(**grains**)**  
It shall spin  
As it is doing now, it shall ((spin))_

Tenten watched as Neji simply stood there defensively. "GET OUT OF THE WAY!" She threw some weapons, but they were deflected by the barrier of wind.

_In a shortened (night), we join now!_

Naruto suddenly turned to face Tenten. "EURO LUMENS!" He performed a downward slash, catching the blade as it pointed directly at Tenten. A thin tunnel of wind shot forth, causing the sword to recoil a bit. Tenten tried to avoid it, but the wind twisted towards her and hit her directly in the chest. She fell to the ground as the wind died, obviously unconscious. Naruto turned to the ethereal form of Hinata. "Was that too much?"

She shook her head. "No. We held back enough to avoid hurting her too bad." She leaned into his ear to whisper. "We should break off our reaction. I'm starting to feel tired."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah."

Neji watched as they backed away. The wind barrier surrounding them quickly faded away. Moments later, the weapons started to disappear as Hinata started to reappear. "Why are they doing that? It as a perfect chance." They started to circle around to opposite sides from where Neji was sitting. He shook his head to break out of his stupor. "Now's my chance." Neji raised himself a bit as the pair attacked from both sides. Just as they got close, he began spinning. "Rotation!" The dome of chakra formed around Neji, blasting the pair away.

Naruto rolled on the ground a bit as Hinata landed gracefully. "I forgot that Nii-san could use the Rotation. It's impossible for us to break through that thick chakra without reacting." Hinata's eyes widened as an idea came to mind.

Neji looked at Hinata with a smug expression. "I don't know why you returned to normal, but I promise you this. I won't let you transform again."

Hinata practically ignored him and focused on Naruto. "SUROUND HIM!"

On queue, Naruto crossed his fingers. "MULTI SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" Clones started to appear, spreading from Naruto in the shape of a circle. This circle reached all the way to Hinata. She whispered something in a clone's ear. After it disappeared, the information was transferred to the others and the original.

In the middle of the crater he created, Neji narrowed his eyes. "Are they planning to do that transformation again?"

Every Naruto pulled out a pair of shuriken. "SHURIKEN EVERYWHERE!" The bladed stars flew out towards Neji all at once.

He performed a rotation to blow all the projectiles away. He smirked after finishing his defense. "That won't work. The moment you broke apart, your fate was sealed."

Hinata was unfazed. "Again!" The clones once again pulled out a pair of shuriken each before throwing. Just like before, Neji's rotation blew the weapons away. "Again!" They threw another group of shuriken, which were just as easily deflected. "Again!"

As he deflected the next batch of shuriken, Neji began to realize what was really happening. "I have to destroy these clones." The moment his spinning stopped, Neji charged after the clones opposite of where Hinata was. As the shuriken flew, he used a kunai to deflect them. A few managed to cut him.

"Keep him in the center!" In response to Hinata's command, the clones closer to Neji backed away while the ones further away closed in. "Attack from above!" Clones jumped into the air and threw down their shuriken at the same time as the ones on the ground."

Neji's eyes widened in fear. "I can't dodge this." He began spinning again. Like before, the shuriken were repelled. "Neji tried to attack again, but the rain of shuriken forced another rotation out of him. "I've only got six or seven left in me. How many shuriken could he have left?" Before he could look into the weapon pouch of a clone, he was forced into another Rotation. "I don't even have time to look." He was quickly forced to use the Rotation once more.

During this Rotation, Hinata held up her hand as a signal for the clones to pause their attack. When Neji stopped, his exhaustion was clearly evident in his slouched position and his heavy breathing. Hinata looked Neji right in the eyes. "Please Nii-san, don't push yourself."

Neji lowered to his knees and rested the back of his hand on the ground. "I've lost."

Hinata let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness."

Genma suddenly appeared in the center of the field. "BY MANNER OF KNOCK OUT AND FORFEIT, NARUTO UZUMAKI AND HINATA HYUGA ARE THE WINNERS OF THIS MATCH!"

The cheers of spectators roared through the arena. All the Naruto clones reveled in the attention. As this noise carried on, Hinata took notice of Neji's defeated expression. "I have to say something."

As she came close, Neji lifted his eyes. "What is it Hinata-sama?"

Hinata flinched at the tone. "He sounds like he's expecting the worst." She took a breath. "You were really amazing Nii-san." He looked up at her in surprise as Hinata looked at the ground. "I was really surprised when you used the Rotation, and even more so when you used the Sixty-Four Palms. I know no one would ever teach those to you. You must have worked really hard to learn those jutsu yourself. I still have a ways to go before I reach the level you're at right now." Hinata looked Neji in the eyes and smiled. "But, you know … I'm okay with that. I know that you'll keep reaching higher levels. I want you to stay ahead … so I always have something to look forward to. Then maybe, when the time comes, we can have a rematch. Just us and our Juken … nothing else. I'm actually looking forward to it." She bowed to Neji a bit before walking away. It just so happened that Naruto finished celebrating and all his clones were gone.

As he watched Hinata leave the arena, Neji noticed something tickling his cheek. When he touched it, he found it to be a single tear. "I'm … crying." He closed his eyes and wiped them clean with his sleeve. He then stood up and put on a proud expression. "You are stronger than you think Hinata-sama. Only now do I see this." He looked over to his partner, who was being tended to by some medical shinobi. He spent little time walking over to them. "How is she?"

"That attack hit her fairly hard. Some ribs are fractured and her body is bruised. It is impressive that this damage was done by a single attack. Lucky, the damage is something that we can take care of easily. She can be up and about in a week." The medic looked at Neji. "You should go up to the spectator's area."

Neji nodded. "Right. This tournament is over for me." Neji looked towards the stairs Hinata and Naruto climbed. "Suddenly, I am feeling excited to watch how Hinata-sama with progress."

Halfway up the stairs, Naruto smiled widely at Hinata. "You were amazing out there Hinata-chan. That was an amazing idea you had. Your cousin didn't stand a chance against us." He noticed her becoming wobbly. "Hinata-chan!" He caught her as she fell back. Looking at her eyes, he could see she was very dizzy. "You okay Hinata-chan?" She sighed sleepily. "She must be tired from reacting." He looked up with a confused expression. "It's weird though. We weren't reacted long enough for that. It's like she fainted."

Naruto prepared to pick Hinata up, but she woke up. In shock, she struggled and fell. "Ita." She looked up. "Oh. G-gomen Naruto-kun. I scare easy after I wake up."

Naruto laughed nervously. "So you really did faint. I thought you were done with that."

Hinata averted her eyes. "Me too. I rather not say I fainted because I took command earlier. That was way too out of character for me. It was really nerve-racking."

The pair gradually made their way up the stairs. The moment they reached the top, they were faced with Ino. "What was that? How did you do it? Since when could you? Does it have something to do with that?" She pointed at the jewel on Hinata's forehead before spacing out a bit. "It's beautiful." Her expression switched to excitement. "When did you get it?"

Hinata looked down at the ground. "I've had this Elemental Gelade since a few weeks after birth."

"Why did you have to hide it for so long?"

"Otou-sama said I shouldn't show it too much. I-I guess I wasn't thinking much.""

"Why didn't he take it off then?"

Naruto took one look at Hinata before facing off with Ino. "Stop it Ino! You're being annoying!"

Ino flinched back in shock. "Did I~ just get called annoying by Naruto~?" She took a closer look at Hinata before taking on an apologetic expression. "Gomen."

Hinata looked up to her. "It's okay. You're just curious." Hinata grabbed the edges of her headband and started to pull it up.

"What are you doing that for?"

"I-it's embarrassing."

Ino waved her hands dismissively. "It's stunning. What is really embarrassing is the clothes you are wearing. You should really try to wear something to fit that accessory of yours."

Hinata started to stutter a bit. "WILL THE NEXT COMBATANTS PLEASE ENTER THE ARENA?"

Lee pumped his fists in the air. "IT'S FINNALY TIME FOR OUR MATCH SAKURA-CHAN!"

He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her towards the opening in the wall. "WAIT! YOU WOULDN'T!" He jumped out the window, dragging Sakura with him.

Ino's eyes started twitching. "Let's go Choji! No way am I letting Billboard Brow beat me!" She started to stomp down the stairs. Choji let out a sigh before following her down.

After a few seconds, the four faced each other with Genma in the middle. He looked between them before chopping the air with his hand. "BEGIN!"

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**I have a lot of fights to write before getting back to Naruto and Hinata. Who ever wins this match will be facing Naruto and Hinata in the second round.**

**Next Chapter: Sakura's Development.  
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	35. Sakura's Development: Chapter 35

Underlined speech is thought.

_Italicized words signify emphasis put on the words or a change in tone. You should be able to figure it out from the choice of words and the character._

_Sentences of thought that are completely italicized were spoken by another character at another time._

_Italicized sections are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is bolded, it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is __underlined,_ _it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is __(__underlined__)__, it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. Songs will not use quotation marks like normal speech._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words-with-dashes-between-them-consistently-signify-when-a-character-is-talking-too-fast-to-understand.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: The barrier of wind proved too much for either Tenten or Neji to break through. Anything that could have worked was spotted by Hinata and dealt with. Neji realized the second roll Hinata plays in after reacting, and practically gives up as a result. Tenten tries to attack from behind, but the pair turned around and unleashed Euro Lumens. With her out, the pair broke off their reaction. Neji sees this as a chance for victory and stands back up. After being blown away by a rotation, Hinata comes up with an idea to exhaust Neji's chakra. He forfeits as a result of this plan. As Naruto celebrates victory, Hinata has a one-on-one talk with her cousin. Neji calms down and accepts Hinata. As they make their way back up to the others, Hinata has a short fainting spell. When they arrived, they are faced by a curious Ino. Hinata is bombarded by questions until Naruto decides to call Ino annoying. Moments after she backs off, she, Choji, Sakura, and Lee are called down for their match.)

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**I've made a small mistake in chapter 33. It turns out that the two I have sitting next to Sagesumi are chunin, not jonin. I've already fixed this.**

**Writing has been pretty hard for me lately. For the first time in about 22 months, I actually am working a job. That's why this chapter is so late. We'll see if I can keep up this pace.**

**6-13-10**

**Sakura's Development**

Ino's eyes narrowed slightly. "You know what to do Choji."

Choji nodded. "Hai." He ran forward, heading directly for Lee. Ino followed after him.

Lee smiled at them. "I've been waiting for this all month." Choji used a wide right hook. Lee easily ducked under the attack. He then used a leg sweep, causing Choji to land on his back. Before Lee could follow up, Ino jumped up and attack with kunai. Lee back flipped away from the attack.

"Plan A Choji."

He nodded as she ran forward. He formed a ram seal then a specialized seal. "Expansion Jutsu!" Choji's body expanded into a massive ball more than six times larger than he was before. As Ino did her best to hold off Lee's taijutsu, Choji tucked his limbs into his girth and began rolling forward.

Ino heard him coming and jumped high enough to land on top then bounced off. She landed behind the ball and gripped her arm. "That's guy's too strong. I blocked only three attacks and I'm numb. It took all I had just to keep up with him. We have to take him out first." She watched as Lee nimbly dodged around Choji's massive form. She then noticed something else coming in. "Sakura!" She tried to put up a guard, but a sudden burst of speed let Sakura push through. "So fast." The blow landed right on Ino's face, causing her to fly back.

Sakura smirked at her. "That's what you get for ignoring me Ino-pig."

Ino rubbed her cheek and stood. "Where did that come from!"

Sakura smirked at her. "Why don't you come here and find out."

Ino pointed at her. "YOU SHOULDN'T LET YOUR HEAD GET ANY BIGGER JUST BECAUSE YOU HIT ME ONCE BILLBOARD~BROW~~!"

"I'LL HIT YOU AS MANY TIMES AS IT TAKES THEN!"

Up in the stands, the pair of shinobi next to Sagesumi began their comments. "That girl's chakra control is impressive. She pushed chakra out of her feet at the perfect timing to increase her speed."

The one with the cloth over his face nodded. "We'd have trouble doing something like that in the midst of battle." Sagesumi laughed at them. They waited a second for her to quiet down. "You have something to say."

Sagesumi looked at them with a wide smirk. "You call that impressive. What Sakura just did was child's play compared to what she can really do."

Their eyes widened. "Child's play?"

Sakura smiled at Ino. "Let's see you try to block this." Sakura ran forward with her fist ready.

Ino's jaw dropped a bit. "How stupid does she think I am? I'd be a baka to try blocking." Her eyes widened a bit. "What if that's what she wants." She dodged Sakura's first attack. "No, I can't second guess myself. My best bet is to outmaneuver her."

Lee kept half his focus on Choji and the other half on Sakura. "Sakura-chan is doing very well. Ino-san is now worrying about whether or not Sakura-chan is bluffing. She is having trouble dodging without guarding."

Choji began to feel frustrated at being unable to hit the nimble Lee. "I can't get this guy. I have to help Ino out." He reversed his rolling direction.

Lee was confused for a bit before noticing where Choji was going. "Not so fast."

A number of seconds earlier, Sakura proved to Ino that she was much faster. "That's it. I have to guard."

Sakura saw this chance. "Now! Focus chakra at the ends of my fist; wait until the instant of impact, then release!" The resulting blow sent Ino flying further than the one that hit her face.

Up in the stands, the Hokage's eyes widened. "Could that be?"

The Kazekage chuckled. "That was an unusually powerful punch. If I'm not mistaken, one of your more famous kunoichi uses a similar jutsu."

Hiruzen nodded. "One of my own students. I never thought I'd see anything like it in these exams. There is a lot of talent here."

"I agree~."

Sagesumi smirked. "That's what Sakura can really do. I wouldn't be surprised if her arm was broken." The ones next to her were speechless.

Sakura looked at her fist. "That felt wrong. My timing was off."

Ino held up the middle of her right forearm. "Billboard brow wasn't kidding. I don't think even Choji hits that hard." She felt her arm a bit. "It has to be fractured." Choji attacking Sakura caught Ino's eye. "Great timing Choji." Her eyes widened when Lee ran in front and started holding off Choji with his bare hands. "What's with that guy?" Her expression turned surprised for an instant before she smirked. "This was the plan from the beginning."

Sakura watched as Ino worked to form familiar hand-seals. "That punch must have racked your brain Ino-pig. I know all about that jutsu. It's really slow and you're defenseless if it misses."

Ino smirked. "You're not my target Billboard brow."

Sakura was confused for an instant before noticing Ino changing her aim. Her eyes widened at the real target. "LEE!"

At Sakura's voice, the taijutsu specialist built up all his strength, lowered his stance, and then tossed the massive green ball that is Choji into the air. He turned to Sakura immediately. "WHAT IS IT SAKURA-CHAN?"

Ino formed a scope with her forefingers and thumbs aimed at Lee. "Too late Billboard-brow; … Mind Transfer Jutsu!"

"JUMP!"

"Hai." Before Lee could even bend his knees, he was pushed back by an unseen force.

Sakura's eyes widened in fear. "This can't be happening." She noticed Ino's prone form. "I have to take this chance."

She ran for the blond. She made only two steps when she heard a sudden crash. "Vroom-vroom-vroom~!" She looked to see Choji rolling right at her.

"I can't let him stop me." She began focusing a lot of chakra in her fist. "I have to time it perfectly this time." She twisted her body, throwing all the strength in her body into the attack. She hit Choji dead center. The moment of contact seemed to be an eternity for Sakura. She could feel the rotation of Choji's body on her fist. Finally, the hulk of living mass was sent flying away. The jutsu causing Choji to be that big ended. As he rolled across the ground, Choji's unconsciousness was proven by the lack of any controlled movement. Sakura immediately turned her attention to Lee. She noticed an expression of complete shock. "Ino possessed him. I have to hurry."

Within Lee's body, Ino could not believe what she saw. "She sent Choji flying. That's impossible." She noticed Sakura heading for her body. "NO!" Sakura reached Ino's body and stopped. The moment she did, _Lee_ reached her and used a high kick. Sakura blocked it directly and was sent flying back. Ino looked at Lee's legs in surprise. "So fast." She looked up at Sakura with a smile. She began to attack.

Up in the stands, Tazuna and his family couldn't believe what there were seeing. "What in the world's going on here? Sakura-chan and Lee-san are doing fine. Their opponents are down so why haven't they one. Lee-san is even attacking Sakura-chan." The bridge builder turned to Haku. "What's happening?"

Haku thought about it for a second. "I believe one of them was Ino Yamanaka. I was told about the Yamanaka clan and a jutsu of theirs that lets them send their spirit into someone else and possess them. I believe Lee-san is possessed by Ino-san."

Tazuna looked at Haku with narrow eyes. "You shinobi have loads of weird jutsu. I wouldn't be surprised was one for building bridges out there."

Tsunami shook her head side to side. "Only Tou-san would say that."

Sagesumi clenched her fists in frustration. "After all the times Sakura warned that idiot, he still gets caught. How stupid can he be?"

The shinobi with cloth over his nose smirked. "Looks like you can't be so confident anymore." She glared at him while his friend chuckled nervously."

Faced with the possessed Lee's attacks, Sakura found herself being pushed further and further away from Ino's body. "I can't keep this up. Stopping Choji took nearly all the chakra I had. Now I have to deal with this alone."

After a few more kicks, Ino backed off; much to Sakura's relief. She looked down at the orange legwarmers around Lee's ankle. "Why do my legs feel so heavy?" She reached into the leg warmers and found something large. She quickly noticed some straps and removed them. What she found was a pair of leg weights. "These must be the reason. They are pretty heavy." She looked up at Sakura's expression. "Why does she look so scared?" Ino let go of the weights, letting them fall. The resulting sound shocked Ino. She looked down to see that the weights put a sizable crater on the ground. "That's insane." She looked up at Sakura, who was backing away. Ino smiled in realization. "If he was that fast before, then how fast is he now."

Sakura prepared herself for the worst as Ino prepared to attack her. She prepared herself to dodge in any direction possible. The moment the attack began, she dodged to the left. She watched as Lee's body shot past her, tripped, somersaulted countless times across the ground before the face slammed into the wall. Some spectators nearest the impact felt like they could feel it. Everyone else was developing sweat-drops of embarrassment.

The jaws of the chunin next to Sagesumi dropped. "What just happened?"

Sagesumi had a similar expression, but changed in quickly. "That baka is insane fast without his weights. I've only seen it twice, so he could be even faster. That Blondie was using his body to fight. I guarantee that she has no idea what it's like to have that kind of speed. She must have lost control."

The one with hair over his right eye palmed his face and shook his head. "I know that the Yamanaka feel whatever their target does as they possess them. That is quite a way to lose." Both agreed with him.

Genma walked up to Ino's body and took a good look at her face. It was pushed in and her nose was bleeding quite a bit. "This one's done for." He looked up at Choji. "And he still hasn't gotten up. THE WINNERS ARE ROCK LEE AND SAKURA HARUNO! AS A SPECIAL RULE MADE FOR THESE EXAMS, IF ROCK LEE IS NOT BATTLE READY BY THE NEXT ROUNDS, SAKURA HARUNO WILL FIGHT ALONE!"

Sakura's eyes widened. "Now they decide to tell us something like this. Naruto and Hinata are in the next round. I have no chance trying to fight something like them alone." Sakura ran right up to Lee and grabbed his shoulders. She turned his face towards her to see that he was in the same shape Ino was in. "Lee-kun! Are you okay?"

He groaned a bit in a goofy way. "How'd~ I do~~ Gai-sensei~?"

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "He's fine." She slapped him once across the face.

He started to rouse himself a bit before steadying himself with his hands. He looked at Sakura with a confused expression then looked side to side. "What … happened?"

Sakura paused for a second before glaring at him. "YOU BAKA! AFTER ALL THE TIMES I WARNED AND YOU STILL GOT CAUGHT IN INO-PIG'S JUTSU! WHEN I TELL YOU TO JUMP, DO IT! DON'T WASTE TIME TELLING ME YOU'RE GOING TO DO IT!"

Lee blinked at her twice before sticking a finger into his left ear. "Gomen Sakura-chan. I cannot hear you. My ears are ringing too much." Sakura looked at him for a second before letting her head drop in defeat. She stood up and walked towards the stairs. She then made a signal for Lee to follow her. He saluted despite the fact that Sakura couldn't see him. "HAI SAKURA-CHAN!"

She palmed her face and sighed. "I paired myself up with a strong baka." Sakura paused for a moment and pointed at where Lee's weights were.

Lee automatically looked in that direction and noticed what was there. "MY WEIGHTS!" He ran to them in a flash and quickly grabbed them. He put them back on with a confused expression. "When did I take off my weights?" He ignored the thought as he noticed Sakura walking up the stairs. He quickly followed after her while putting the weights back on. As he approached her, he noticed something flowing down his face. He wiped his face with his sleeve to find a fairly large amount of blood. "When did that happen?" He looked up. "Now that I think about it, I feel just like I did that one time I ran face first into that big rock half a year ago."

Sakura quickly reached the other genin. The first people she wanted to look at were Naruto and Hinata. Naruto was standing in one spot next to the window, ready to talk to her the first chance he got. What Hinata was doing right next to him shocked her completely. "Is she actually … sleeping?" Sakura took a closer look. "Where'd that pillow come from?" Sakura couldn't keep herself from looking only at the way Hinata's head was against Naruto's leg, with the pillow right in-between. "It's almost sickening how adorable she looks right now. At least she's covered that gem back up."

Lee arrived soon after, still rubbing the inside of his ear with his pinky. "I think my hearing is coming back." He noticed Naruto waving at him and walked right over. "Hello Naruto-kun."

"Hey bushy-brow. What happened out there?"

Lee scratched his chin. "I don't know."

Sakura walked right up to them. "You got possessed."

This shocked Lee. "Really! The last thing I remember is throwing Choji-san into the air."

Sakura glanced at him without turning her head. "That is when you got possessed. How~ many times did I warn you about that?"

He started bowing repeatedly. "Gomen-nasai. Gomen-nasai."

"IT'S TIME FOR THE NEXT MATCH TO BEGIN! FOR THOSE WHO MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN WHO THEY ARE, IT WILL BE SHINO ABURAME AND SHIKAMARU NARA VS TEMARI AND KANKURO OF THE SAND!"

Shikamaru let out a sigh. "Looks like I have to fight now. Troublesome." He headed for the stairs.

Shino made his way for the stairs himself. "I have anticipated this for some time. I am curious about the jutsu of the shinobi of the sand."

Temari and Kankuro followed them soon after. "What do we do Temari? I don't want to show all my Crow has before it is time."

"We can't both drop out of this fight. It will look suspicious."

"Hai."

"Don't worry. We won't have to give it everything we have. Just save up your energy."

After a few short moments, the genin pairs faced each other of. Like before, Genma looked between them and gave his signal. "BEGIN!"

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**And here we have the ending of yet another chapter. I was able to make the match last longer than expected. If it keeps going at this rate, the first round will take up to four more chapters.**

**For some bad news, I may not be able to do much writing for this week. I will be tuning in for E3 this week. I am interested to see what will be shown.**

**Next Chapter: Strategies.**


	36. Strategies: Chapter 36

Underlined speech is thought.

_Italicized words signify emphasis put on the words or a change in tone. You should be able to figure it out from the choice of words and the character._

_Sentences of thought that are completely italicized were spoken by another character at another time._

_Italicized sections are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is bolded, it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is __underlined,_ _it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is __(__underlined__)__, it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. Songs will not use quotation marks like normal speech._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words-with-dashes-between-them-consistently-signify-when-a-character-is-talking-too-fast-to-understand.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: The battle between Lee/Sakura and Ino/Choji began with Ino sending Choji after Lee. She held him off as Choji prepared his jutsu. Sakura quickly hit the recovering Ino. As Ino avoided Sakura in fear, Choji began getting frustrated. Ino was forced to block, giving Sakura the chance to demonstrate her supper strength. As Lee tossed Choji into the air, Ino took over his body. Sakura was forced to use all her chakra to defeat Choji. Everyone in the stands watched as a rather defenseless Sakura was forced to hold off her own teammate. Ino noticed Lee's heavy legs and took off the leg weights. In her full speed charge, she tripped and knocked Lee and herself out. This gained Sakura and Lee the victory. Lee managed to wake first, but took some time to recover. They made their way back up and conversed. Kankuro/Temari and Shino/Shikamaru were called down.)

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**I highly recommend reading the large section above for a recap of the previous chapter. It has been a long time since my last update. I get to kick off this stories return with Shikamaru and Shino teamed up. I hope I do it justice.**

**9-19-10**

**Strategies**

Even with the signal to begin, neither side was prepared to make the first move. Temari quickly began to get impatient. "WHAT'S WRONG? YOU SCARED JUST BECAUSE WE'RE OLDER!"

Shino responded apathetically. "A year's difference only matters depending on how that year is spent."

Kankuro glared at him. "Where does that little brat get off acting so cocky?"

"Calm down Kankuro. This guy is good enough to get Gaara riled up. We shouldn't underestimate him."

"Tch." Kankuro charged directly at Shino.

"Kankuro! What does that baka think he's doing?"

Shino stood stoically. "He's not aiming for me."

After closing half the distance, Kankuro made a sharp turn for Shikamaru. The Nara watched him do this with as much of an expression as Shino would have. "Troublesome." Shikamaru leaned back to avoid a wide punch. He then sidestepped a kick. "This guy's taijutsu is pretty bad. It's outright clunky."

Shino faced the fight and ran to join in. "Not so fast." Temari grabbed the large object attached to her back and opened it a little, revealing a fan. The moment she swung her fan, a narrow gust of wind sliced toward where Shino would be. An instant later, he froze in place and faced Temari. "He was focused on me the entire time."

"It appears your weapon of choice is a fan." He noticed a dark violet circle on the fan.

Temari smirked at him. "I've only shown you the first moon. When you see all three, it'll be over."

"I assume the third moon is revealed when your fan is unfolded. What I saw was a third of your power."

Temari lost or cocky expression. "So he is a little smart!" She swung the fan with all her might, unleashing a fierce gale heading for Shino, who made no move to avoid the attack. When it hit, he was blasted back, only to be scattered into countless black particles to Temari's surprise. "A clone? What kind of clone is _that_?" She noticed the black particles collecting and streaming towards Kankuro. "KANKURO, BEHIND YOU!"

He turned around and jumped away soon enough for the swarm to just graze him. "WHAT'S WITH ALL THESE BUGS?"

"Those are bugs?" Temari sensed danger at the back of her neck and leapt to the side with her fan in hand. "Where'd _he _come from?" Shino pulled out a kunai and charged without hesitation. "He is after my fan." She quickly closed the weapon, preventing any damage from the kunai. She then proceeded to use the fan as a giant club. Shino ducked under the wide swing and attacked again. He barely nicked her clothes as Temari used the fan as a vaulting pole. She righted herself and kicked it fully open before quickly using it to ascend into the air. She looked down with her teeth gritted in frustration. "When did he have a chance to pull all that off?"

Naruto and Hinata watched their teammate in action. "He came out of nowhere Hinata-chan. Did he teleport?"

She shook her head. "No. The Sh-Shino-kun who came out first was a-always a clone. The r-real one was hiding in the staircase."

"That's cheating!"

She shook her head again. "Not really. These exams h-have no rules."

"Oh, right." He rubbed the back of his head. "I forgot about that."

Sagesumi looked down with an awed expression. "He does _not_ disappoint."

"Your son is a shrewd one Shiki-san."

"I agree with his tactical maneuver Shikaku-san."

"I wonder what he was setting up next to that tree."

"We'll see."

Kankuro worked to avoid the swarms of beetles while wiping even more of them off. Trying to do both at once proved too much as the larger swarm caught up and enveloped him.

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. "This is going too well." The large bandaged object on Kankuro's back unfurled itself and backed away from the swarm of insects. "Shino's not the only one who thought of using a decoy."

The true Kankuro glared at Shino. "He's more dangerous than I thought." He turned to Shikamaru only to be frozen in place. "What the? I CAN'T MOVE!"

Shikamaru smirked. "Shadow Possession Jutsu … success."

Temari looked down at the ground where Kankuro stood. "What's with that shadow?" She traced it all the way back to Shikamaru. Quick analysis allowed her to see that Kankuro was forced to repeat everything Shikamaru did. "First bugs then shadows. What's with this village's creepy jutsu?" She slid off her fan and attacked from mid-air.

The attack hit the ground in an explosion of dust. Shikamaru shielded his face from this dust. "We'd have to get stuck fighting such a troublesome woman. She managed to cut off my shadow's connection by breaking up the ground."

Shino wasted no time in getting to Shikamaru's side. "The Web plan, tree nearest their entry point."

Shikamaru smirked. "How much time?"

"At least three minutes."

"I'll be there."

Kankuro glared through the dusty smokescreen, where he imagined Shikamaru to be. "I'm going to kill that brat."

Temari landed right next to him. "Relax Kankuro. It won't do either of us any good if you get riled up."

He clenched his teeth and looked over at his double. "Fine, but I'm still bringing Crow in."

The dust slowly cleared away as both sides prepared themselves for part two of the battle. Shino called in all the beetles covering the fake Kankuro. "Attack." The swarm of insects split in half and moved in towards the Suna pair.

"LIKE I'D LET THOSE THINGS GET CLOSE!" Temari gripped her fan tightly and swung it with all her might. The resulting wind managed to blow away all of the insects and reached Shino and Shikamaru as well.

Shikamaru shielded his eyes from the wind and dust. "Man that's a troublesome jutsu. She can attack and defend at the same time."

"I concur." All the beetles that were blown away recollected around Shino. He then noticed the fake Kankuro starting to move. "I forgot about that."

The fake quickly shed its skin and clothes to reveal a humanoid puppet with an extra set of arms and a third eye on the forehead as well as horns. Its cloak looked more like a large brown rag than actual clothing. The puppet clicked at an extremely rapid pace as it began to move. It then opened its mouth before firing off four kunai. Shino and Shikamaru quickly dodged them. "Great. He's troublesome too. Watch out Shino. All that thing's joints have weapons in them." He paused for a second. "No, it'll be safe to assume that there are more ways to attack."

Shino nodded in agreement. "This will become a long ranged battle."

Shikamaru smirked. "You're just now figuring this out. I figured ahead of time that the makeup guy wasn't very good at close combat. The puppet was unexpected though."

Kankuro smirked. "Time to show them why they shouldn't mess with us." With a swipe of his hands, Kankuro sent Crow after the pair. Its wrists folded back, revealing large needles.

Its first target was Shikamaru. As he barely dodged the weapon, he noticed a purple liquid dripping off the blade. "Is that?" The puppet redirected towards Shino. "IT'S POISON!" Shino quickly dodged the attack and joined Shino. The puppet flew into the air. As soon as it stopped, they were blown back by a massive gust of wind. Crow began shooting kunai at them immediately.

Shino threw kunai at the weapons heading for him and Shikamaru while letting out a swarm of insects to stop Shikamaru's flight. The Nara quickly formed his hand-seals. "Shadow Possession Jutsu." The shadow shot towards Shino, reaching his feet the moment they touched the ground stopping his backward movement. Shikamaru started running towards the trees, forcing Shino to follow. "BREAK!"

As soon as Shikamaru said that, the shadow retracted and Shino continued running of his own will. He found the nearest tree and jumped into its branches. He jumped out a second later, aiming for Crow. This irritated Kankuro. "YOU THINK THAT'LL WORK!" With a motion of his fingers, Crow revealed its needles again and attacked. "Stupid brat." His eyes widened when the one he pierced was just an insect clone. Seconds later, Crow fell to the ground. The insects returned to Shino, who was just standing in front of the tree he jumped into. "WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"The insects that I use are a specialty of the Aburame clan. They are known as Parasitic Insects, which feed on chakra. In return for allowing them to live in our bodies and providing sustenance, we are able to command them in combat."

Kankuro clenched his teeth and fists in anger. "So that's it. I have to attach chakra strings to my puppet if I want to control it. Those bugs ate the chakra I was using." He tensed his fists even further. "This guy is trouble. What's Temari doing?" He looked to his side to see Temari working to avoid being caught by Shikamaru's shadow.

She stopped after noticing that the shadow stopped moving. "So it has a limited distance." She noticed a ball of insects flying towards her and backed away from it. The insects stopped right over the shadow's limit, spreading out into a disk. Suddenly, Shikamaru's shadow started up all over again, forcing Temari avoid it once again. "So he can use other shadows to extend his range." She pulled out her fan and swung it. The gust of wind blew away Shino's insects, effectively ending the shadow's advance. "These two work together too well."

With a motion of his hands, Kankuro redid his connection to Crow. He picked it up and pulled it to his side. "Time to end this." He prepared some attacks, but Crow's movements moved too slowly. "What's going on?" A closer inspection showed Shino's insects crawling around in Crow's joints. "Why that … he's jamming Crow's joints." Kankuro's anger became even more evident. "THAT'S NOT ALL CROW CAN DO!" With a single motion of both hands, Kankuro split Crow up into ten pieces. All of the pieces spread out in preparation to attack Shino. "Let me show you crow's true power!"

"KANKURO, THE SHADOW'S!" Kankuro turned to his right. As soon as he did, he noticed the strip of shadow heading hitting the shadow of the nearest piece. It then shot after the next piece. "HE'S USING CROW'S SHADOWS TO REACH YOU!"

As soon as he heard Temari's warning, Kankuro directed the pieces he could up into the air. Shikamaru's shadow caught one more piece before it stopped casting a shadow. With his puppet safe, Kankuro quickly acted to avoid getting caught himself. This happened to put him right where Temari was. "I can't believe we are being pushed around by these brats."

"Maybe because they actually work together. I told you that we should have figured out some combinations."

"Shut up. We'll take out that bug freak first."

"They aren't going to let us do that."

"Shut up and do it."

Temari clenched her teeth. "Fine. This isn't the time to be arguing." She moved in front of Kankuro with a lowered stance and readied her fan. "TAKE THIS!" Her eyes widened when she stopped mid-swing. "I can't move my body." She focused her eyes on Kankuro. "MOVE KANKURO!"

The expression on his face revealed her warning to be too late. Shikamaru smirked and stood up. "Successes." As he stood, Kankuro and Temari were forced to mimic his stance.

Each of Crow's pieces crashed to the ground one by one and Temari dropped her fan. Kankuro scanned the ground the best he could. "I can't see his shadow anywhere." Shino slowly approached them without a care. "What is this?"

Temari squealed loudly. "GET-THEM-OFF.-GET-THEM-OFF!" He body trembled in a futile effort to move.

Kankuro looked down to see Shino's insects crawling up Temari's legs. He saw them crawling up his legs too. "I didn't notice because my legs are covered. Where are they coming from?" He noticed holes in the ground where the insects spilled out like a swarm of ants. "How?"

Shino stopped walking a mere meter away from the pair and slid his hands into his pockets. "As of now, I have two types of parasites to use. The first are small, winged, and maneuverable. The other set is larger and breed for subterranean movement. I developed them in preparation for this plan."

Kankuro's eyes widened. "IN ONE MONTH!"

"No. The parasitic insects we utilize live three hours at most and reproduce quickly to offset this. It took three days of selective breeding to develop them into today's form. The most difficult part was improving their smell so they could track females through soil." He held out his finger, which had a beetle with a red color on it. "I planted three on each of you to improve the chances."

"ENOUGH! WE FORFEIT! GET THESE THINGS OFF ME!" Her eyes showed her to be in complete panic.

Genma appeared an instant later. "THE WINNERS ARE SHINO ABURAME AND SHIKAMARU NARA BY DECISION!"

As soon as Genma said that, Temari began feeling the bugs make a U-turn. Three red insects flew to Shino from random points on her clothes. Why she never noticed them became obvious by their size. The moment she was able to move, Temari began sweeping her legs off instantly.

Kankuro dropped to his hands and knees as he was feeling unusually tired. "I still don't get how the shadow got us."

Shino adjusted his glasses. "I hate explaining things twice."

Shikamaru walked up to them. "I'll take this one Shino." Temari finished wiping her legs. "I can use any shadow to increase the range of my own shadow. I can even use shadows you can't see."

Their eyes widened. "The tunnel."

Shikamaru quickly guessed what they were thinking. "Yep. As soon as the match started, Shino ran around to your rear and then to the nearest tree. He then spent some time letting all his burrowing insects into the ground. After that, all there was left to do was to plant some females on you two so they'd know where to dig up. He told me that they'd surface in three minutes, so I just made sure both of you were standing together at that time."

"We've been playing into their hands from the very beginning." It took a fair amount of willpower for them to not attack the pair and despite the risk.

Up in the stands, two fathers looked down at their sons. "Our kids work really good together Shibi-san. I didn't expect our jutsu to be so compatible."

"Unique situations precede unique ideas."

"I had no idea you could develop multiple types in your bodies."

"It's difficult. Shino had to monitor breeding constantly to maintain two separate types."

"So he worked like that all month."

Shibi shook his head. "I'll assume he prepared them late in the month."

Tazuna looked down with a confused expression. "Okay, I don't expect to explain all these jutsu, but how do they win by decision. Didn't that girl forfeit?"

Haku nodded. "She may have forfeited, but the other one didn't. Since there are two parts to a team, both have to agree to the forfeit. It was decision because one gave up and both were immobilized."

"Oh, I get it. Still, wouldn't saying that it was a forfeit be simpler."

"Hai, but it would also be a false decision. Something like that can cause disagreements between villages. Many leaders have been known to argue over some truly petty reasons."

Tsunami looked at Haku. "The shinobi world sounds like a complicated place."

Sagesumi looked down at Shino with a smile. "He's looking more and more impressive. If only he would grow into someone I could literally look up to."

Both teams went up their side of the arena. Temari and Kankuro went up a different set of stairs leading to the stands in light of their loss. Kankuro's fists were tightly clenched. "I can't believe we lost."

"Shut up Kankuro. You know that we need to save our energy. How much use are we going to be with all our chakra eaten up by those bugs?"

Kankuro smirked. "And those bugs crawling up your legs had nothing to do with it."

She immediately turned to Kankuro in anger. "You try having those things crawling up your underwear." Kankuro immediately backed off. After a second of cowering, Temari continued on her way. "I'll have nightmares for weeks."

Kankuro followed after. "That was almost as scary as Gaara. I do not need that kind of mental image of my sister." He stumbled a bit. "Looks like I already don't have enough chakra to be of use. My jutsu doesn't use much chakra so I never worried about my chakra reserves. I'll work on that when I get home, if I make it back."

**

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**I think I'll leave this chapter at that. Writing for strategic characters like Shino and Shikamaru is a lot harder than writing for straightforward idiots like Naruto and Lee. I hope that this was a good chapter for this story's return. I really reused a lot of ideas that come straight from the manga/anime, just in a different way.**

**Next Chapter: Kin's Development.**


	37. Kin's Development: Chapter 37

Underlined speech is thought.

_Italicized words signify emphasis put on the words or a change in tone. You should be able to figure it out from the choice of words and the character._

_Sentences of thought that are completely italicized were spoken by another character at another time._

_Italicized sections are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is bolded, it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is __underlined,_ _it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is __(__underlined__)__, it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. Songs will not use quotation marks like normal speech._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words-with-dashes-between-them-consistently-signify-when-a-character-is-talking-too-fast-to-understand.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: The battle between the Kankuro/Temari and Shino/Shikamaru pairs started off with waiting and banter. The first attack came from Kankuro. He feinted to Shino before switching to Shikamaru. The Nara expertly avoided the attacks as Temari began attacking Shino. This Shino turned out to be a bug clone, with the real one behind Temari. Temari was forced to avoid the close ranged attacks by escaping into the air. As the bugs that made up the clone attacked Kankuro, he was forced to reveal his true self hiding as the bandaged mass. Shikamaru quickly caught him with his jutsu, only for Temari to break it up with a powerful wind attack. The siblings regrouped and fought to hold their foes off. Kankuro began using his puppet at this time. They dodged it, discovering poison on the hidden blades. Shino ran into a tree, and then jumped straight at Crow. Crow's attack revealed this Shino to be a clone. As Crow was jammed by the insects, Shikamaru began trying to capture Temari. A condensed disk of insects helped extend Shikamaru's range. After Temari got rid of those insects, Shikamaru began using the separated pieces of Crow to reach Kankuro. Standing together once again, the siblings prepared a counterattack, but froze in place due to a tunnel being dug under them being used to extend Shikamaru's shadow. As Shino's insects climbed up their legs, the proctor decided that the victory belonged to Shino and Shikamaru.

**

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**9-19-10**

**Kin's Development**

Shino and Shikamaru finished making their way back up to the Genin's waiting area. The first one there to great them was Hinata. "You did well Shino-kun." She looked towards Shikamaru. "Y-you too Shikamaru-san."

Naruto walked to her side and smiled. "Hinata-chan's right. You two where awesome." Naruto suddenly wrapped his arm around Shikamaru's shoulder and starting poking him. "Who would have guessed that a lazy bum like you knew how to fight?"

Shikamaru's eye twitched in annoyance. "Get off me Naruto."

"WILL KIN, KIBA, YOROI, AND MISUMI PLEASE COME DOWN?"

Kiba smiled widely and patted Akamaru's head. "Time to go wild Akamaru." The puppy yipped in agreement. He jumped clean out of the window. "YAHOO~~!"

Kin palmed her forehead. "I'm never going to get used to that baka's behavior. He is really like a puppy." She noticed their opponents walking down one of the flights of stairs. Her eyelids lowered over most of her eyes as she leaned onto her hand. "What am I thinking? I need to make a decision soon."

She turned towards the stairs that Shino and Shikamaru came up. The eye of Dosu followed Kin closely. "Now's my only chance. Stay here Zaku."

Hinata took notice of Kin's conflicted expression. Naruto also managed to notice. "What's her problem?"

"I … I don't know Naruto-kun."

Shikamaru slipped his hands into his pockets. "Let it go. It's none of our business." In just a moment later, Dosu walked right past them. This roused Shikamaru's suspicion. "Where are you going?"

Dosu stopped and turned his head just enough to look Shikamaru in the eye. "Like you just said … none of your business." He turned back and continued walking down the stairs.

Naruto glared at the Oto shinobi as he disappeared behind the stairs. "Are we going to let him go?"

Shino placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder to prevent him from charging forward. "Compose yourself Naruto-san. I am doubtful he will attempt anything as we bore witness to his activity."

Shikamaru stretched his arms over his head. "Shino's right Naruto. Leave it be. Sounds troublesome anyways." Shikamaru sauntered over to the observation window. Shino followed after him.

Hinata spent a few seconds examining Naruto's irritated expression. "Naruto-kun."

He looked towards her. "Yeah Hinata-chan."

"I-I think it's okay Naruto-kun. I get the feeling that he doesn't have a-any bad intentions."

"Really?"

"H-hai … I think."

Naruto looked at her blankly for a few seconds before smiling. "Okay, if you say so." He grabbed her hand. "Let's go watch."

Down in the arena, Yoroi and Misumi stepped out of their flight of stairs. Kiba cracked his knuckles as he waited for his partner to appear. "This is going to be easy."

Kiba's family looked down on him from the roofs. They would watch the fights from the stands, but most civilians feel uncomfortable around the Inuzuka clan's very wolf-like dogs. Kuromaru glanced back at his female partner. "Do you think they will be alright?"

Tsume crossed her arms. "Not sure. That girl never talked with us much over the month. Who knows what's going through her head."

"I'm not too sure about that Kaa-san. I saw Kin-chan talking to Shiroi a lot. She never said anything incriminating, but she has opened up to an extent."

Kuromaru sat and shook his head a bit. "She seems to be taking her time."

Hana narrowed her eyes. "You're right. There's no reason that she would be taking this long."

Tsume snarled a bit. "Yeah, something smells weird."

Genma looked Kiba in the eyes. "Where is your partner?"

Kiba looked back where he expected Kin to come down from. "She should be down soon."

Genma smirked. "I hope so. If she doesn't come, I'll have to give the victory to your opponents."

"Hey! That's not fair! I thought you said that if a partner couldn't fight, someone could fight alone."

"That only applies if the partner is incapable of fighting by time their next match comes along. I have no reason to believe your partner can't fight."

Kiba glared at him. "You're just making this up."

Genma returned the glare. "The rules are the rules. Deal with it." He turned his attention towards the far wall. "It appears that enforcing the rule will be unnecessary."

Kiba turned back to see Kin walking up. "She looks … different."

From the Genin's observational window, Hinata took a close look at Kin's expression. "That's odd. She looks relieved in some way. It's like what was bothering her moments ago disappeared." In her peripheral vision, she noticed Dosu appearing. "I wonder what he said to her."

Dosu walked up to Zaku, who was leaning against the back wall as if he was uninterested in the match of his fellow Oto shinobi. He smirked at Dosu's approach. "What did you say to her?"

Dosu stopped beside Zaku and turned towards the window. "That is between me and her for the time being."

"Tch, whatever."

As she reached Kiba, Kin glanced at Genma. "I thought you Konoha shinobi were laid-back."

"These people come to watch shinobi fights, not to wait for late participants."

Kin smirked. "Then what are you doing. Start the match already."

Genma smirked. "She's a cheeky one. BEGIN!"

Yoroi immediately formed a hand seal. "Chakra Absorption Jutsu."

He ran forward as his hand started glowing with chakra. Kiba smirked in a feral way. "All-Fours Jutsu." He lowered himself onto his hands with his knees barely above the ground.

Kin pulled out senbon with bells attached to them. She threw them at Yoroi with a smooth motion. He dodged them with ease. Right behind him, Misumi also had to dodge. Misumi shook his head. "How stupid does she think we are? We aren't going to fall for her using such an obvious technique like attaching bells to senbon to hide her real attacks."

In the moment of distraction, Kiba landed a clean elbow blow to Yoroi's abdomen. He buckled over and furrowed his brow. "Got you."

Kiba's eyes widened when Yoroi grabbed his arm. "This feeling?"

Sensing that something was wrong, Akamaru leapt out of Kiba's jacket and wrapped his teeth around Yoroi's arm. He immediately released Kiba and shook his arm sharply. "GET OFF ME YOU MUTT!"

Akamaru let go and landed right next to Kiba. Kiba patted Akamaru on the head. "Good job buddy. That felt like when I was fighting against Sagesumi with Shino. He took away my chakra with his jutsu."

Kiba quickly backed away to where Kin stood. "What's wrong pup. Scared~?"

Kiba glared at her. "I'm trying to tell you something important here."

"_Well_, out with it pup."

Kiba's eye twitched. "Don't let that guy touch you. He can steal your chakra."

She chuckled. "I'd have to let him get close first." She twitched her fingers once.

Both Yoroi and Misumi looked back at the sound of a bell ringing. "Where's that coming from." They noticed the bells from the original senbon thrown by Kin ringing periodically. "What's she playing at." Their eyes widened as they felt themselves losing their sense of balance.

Yoroi glared at Kin. "What Jutsu is this?" He narrowed his eyes when he started seeing multiple copies of his opponents.

Kiba smirked. "Let's end this Akamaru." He pulled out a pair of pills and tossed one to Akamaru. Akamaru quickly at it, turning his fur red, as Kiba ate his. Akamaru then jumped onto Kiba's back. "Man Beast Clone!" In a puff of smoke; Akamaru transformed back into Kiba. "Let's go! Fang over Fang!" The two Kiba flew forward like giant drills before tearing through both opponents. To their surprise, they exploded in water. At landing, Kiba and Akamaru looked around. "Where are they?"

Kin's eyes widened when she noticed a bright orange light. "ABOVE YOU!"

Kiba and Akamaru's eyes widened when they noticed a massive ball of fire descending upon them. They immediately got out of the way. Misumi appeared behind one of them. "Bad move." Misumi's limbs started contorting around Kiba's arms, neck, and legs; restraining him completely. "I suggest you give up before I snap your neck."

The Kiba smirked before revealing his self to be Akamaru. Thanks to the size change, Akamaru easily kicked off of Misumi's chest and escaped. As this happened, Kin noticed the fireball disappearing. "Why those. … That was a genjutsu." She growled. "I should have thought it was crazy they could have that much chakra." She noticed the other one going after Kiba. "LET'S SMOKE THEM OUT PUP!"

Kiba smirked while spiraling towards her, leaving Yoroi with no one to grab. Akamaru quickly ran over and jumped back onto Kiba's back again. "Man Beast Clone!" Like before, Akamaru transformed back into Kiba's form. Both then reached into the original's pouches and pulled out a bunch of violet pellets. They then jumped into the air. "YAHOO~~!"

Misumi ran forward. "I'm taking you down."

Kin quickly backed away. "You can't catch what you can't see."

As soon as she finished saying that, Kiba and Akamaru began throwing the pellets all over the field. Within a second, all anyone could see was violet smoke. Kiba and Akamaru made sure to land right next to Kin. "Which one do you want Kin."

She smirked. "Leave the worm to me. You take out mister shades."

Kiba smirked. "Alright. Let's go Akamaru."

As the pair ran off, Kin pulled out five bells less than half the size of the ones she used earlier. She hung the bells off a set of short strings and held senbon in her other hand. "Let the fun begin."

Misumi stumbled around blindly. "Cursed smoke." He held his hand out. "I can barely see my hand in front of my face." He took a breath and calmed down. "That Inuzuka kid could probably smell us, but that girl is just as blind as I am." His eyes widened slightly when he heard a high pitched ping sound to his left. "What was that?" He heard another to his right. "Is it that girl?" He backed away when another ping sounded right at his feet. He backed away slowly as the three locations pinged continuously. "Ah!" He fell to his rear due to a piercing pain in his right foot. He reached for it, finding a senbon that made its way through his sandals and into his foot. He pulled it out before standing up. "She's disorientating me. What good are those bells going to do you now?"

Kin started chuckling. "Don't ask for whom the bell tolls, because it tolls for thee."

Misumi started looking all around. "Where is she? She sounds like she's surrounded me." Another senbon pierced his shoulder. He quickly pulled it out.

"I think I'd prefer you on your knees."

An instant later, a pair of senbon hit the points behind Misumi's knees. His eyes widened as he fell to his knees. "She knows exactly where to aim. How can she in all this smoke?"

"Let's play some finger roulette." As the bells surrounding him pinged, Misumi's eyes widened at a small sensation of wind between his fingers. He closed his fingers to find a senbon right between his fingers. He leaned back to support all his weight on his knees and pulled the senbon out of his legs. "Guess you don't want to play that game. Any suggestions for me. I'd prefer not to end this quickly.

Misumi pulled out a kunai desperately and threw if forward. "Where are you? Show yourself."

Kin laughed loudly. "What good will that do you. … I'm behind you." He threw another kunai, causing Kin to laugh louder. "You _really_ fell for that. I hope you didn't hit your partner by accident."

Misumi pressed his hands over the side of his head. "SHUT UP! YOU DON'T SCARE ME!"

"Who are you telling; me … or yourself?" Another senbon found itself in his thigh.

He stood up and pulled it out before running in a random direction. "She's a monster, a demon."

"There's nowhere to go." Just as she said that, he ran into a wall. He pressed his hands against the wall as if trying to find a way through. "You crack easily don't you?"

"I have to find the exit." He started running along the edge of arena. He fell forwards as a senbon pierced his leg.

"I can't have you running away now can I."

Misumi trembled as he could only wait for the next senbon to pierce his skin. "Where is she; left, right, ahead? What if she's taunting me from above."

All the smoke was suddenly cleared away by a gust of wind. Visibility was quickly restored to everyone there. Misumi looked around, seeing Genma standing between him and Kin. Examining the rest of the arena, he saw that Yoroi was already taken out by Kiba and Akamaru; his clothes tattered with the repeated spiraling blows. "What happened?"

Kin glared at Genma. "Why did you have to kill my fun?"

He only smirked at her. "It's my job to make sure you don't kill the losers."

"I wasn't going to kill him. Just play around with him."

"Well … playtime is over. THE WINNERS ARE KIN TSUCHI AND KIBA INUZUKA BY DECISION!"

Kiba released his All Fours Jutsu and Akamaru canceled the transformation into Kiba, his fur still a dark red color. Both ran up to Kin. "YAHOO~~ … WE WON~!"

She glared at him in an annoyed manner. "Stop yapping pup. It's just the first match. Didn't you say the next match was the one we had to worry about?"

Kiba growled in a pouting manner. "Have you ever tried being happy before."

She smiled at him in a way that Kiba found unfamiliar coming from her. "Can't you tell? I've been happy for a while now."

Kiba looked over to Misumi, who was being escorted out by a medical shinobi. His body had a few blood spots and his expression was still in a state of panic. Kiba blanched. "If that's what she's like when she's happy, then Shikamaru is right. Women are scary."

Tazuna looked directly at Haku. "Mind explaining this one. I'm kind of on the same bridge you are."

Tsunami smiled and chuckled. "I think the term is that you are in the same boat."

Tazuna glanced at her. "And your point."

Haku laughed. "Well, the Inuzuka are a dog clan so they must have a sense of smell strong enough to locate someone through that smoke. As for Kin-san, I believe it has something to do with the second set of bells she used. The high pitch sound is just like the kind some nocturnal animals use."

"Layman's terms please."

"Echolocation; seeing with sound instead of light. When learning how to fight with minimum visibility, Zabuza made me read about animals that do the same. I managed to learn that bats are able to fly through a maze of string as thin as hair using only sound to locate them. A technique like this seems to really suit someone who comes from a village called Oto."

Kin walked up the stairs with a smile on her face. "It feels like all my worries are gone. It actually feels nice."

Both Kiba and Akamaru watched Kin with wary expressions. Kiba put his lips to Akamaru's ears. "Watch out buddy. She's acting very weird." Akamaru wined in agreement.

* * *

**And that marks the end of another chapter. I really wrote Kin out to be quite the sadist. Sadistic characters are suddenly a lot cooler when they aren't being depicted as villains. Case in point, Anko.**

**I wonder how many of you figured out the echolocation trick before Haku's explanation. It was a last minute decision to add it to the story.**

**Next Chapter: Death and Patience**


	38. Death and Patience: Chapter 38

Underlined speech is thought.

_Italicized words signify emphasis put on the words or a change in tone. You should be able to figure it out from the choice of words and the character._

_Sentences of thought that are completely italicized were spoken by another character at another time._

_Italicized sections are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is bolded, it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is __underlined,_ _it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is __(__underlined__)__, it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. Songs will not use quotation marks like normal speech._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words-with-dashes-between-them-consistently-signify-when-a-character-is-talking-too-fast-to-understand.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: After a few moments where Naruto and Hinata spoke with the victors, Kiba and Kin were called down. Kiba wasted no time in jumping out of the window while Kin moved at a more leisurely pace. As she headed down the stairs, Dosu decided to follow after her for unknown reasons. Due to him holding her up, many began suspecting foul play until both finally exited the stairs. As she walked out, Kiba noticed a _different _expression on Kin's face. The match began with Yoroi preparing his jutsu and Kin countered using senbon with bells attached. Kiba then attacked Yoroi, to have some of his chakra sapped. When they lost balance from Kin's jutsu, Kiba and Akamaru combo attacked them. They somehow turned out to be water clones. Moments later, a genjutsu formed fireball fell on them, giving Misumi a chance to grab a Kiba. This Kiba revealed himself to be Akamaru. After regrouping, Kin told Kiba to smoke them out, meaning that he should cover the field in his smoke pellets. In the shrouded arena, Kin easily cornered Misumi and terrified him into defeat. The match was called and the wining pair made their way back up the stairs.)

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* * *

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**10-17-10**

**Death and Patience**

Kin was the first to make her way to the top of the stairs. Her attention immediately turned to her fellow Oto shinobi, Dosu. She smirked lightly at him. "I'll have to revise my opinion of him. At first I thought he was strong, but he's got guts too." She chuckled then started walking towards the viewing window. "I'm just as crazy for going along with his idea." She smiled as she leaned onto her hand. "I know I should be scared, but a part of me is getting a real thrill out of it. It's I'm dancing with the shinigami."

Kiba reached the top of the stairs just seconds after Kin. He watched her show with a very suspicious expression and then leaned into Akamaru's ear. "I'm scared Akamaru. Last time she smiled like that, I had fifteen senbon in my butt." He walked over to her tentatively.

A moment later, Hinata stepped forward. "Con-congratulations Kiba-kun."

He paused for a second. "Oh." He smiled. "Thanks Hinata."

"Hey, puppy." Kiba turned his attention towards Kin. "Give me a kunai."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Why?"

She narrowed her eyes back. "Don't ask why! I want a kunai and you are going to give it to me." Kiba grumbled under his breath as he pulled out a kunai. His grumbling grew louder as he heard both Akamaru and Naruto snickering at him.

"THE NEXT MATCH WILL BE DOSU AND ZAKU VS GAARA!"

With the calling of his name, Gaara was slowly surrounded by an ever growing veil of sand. Once it covered him completely, it dispersed and he disappeared. He then reappeared in a swirl of sand in the middle of the arena. As Zaku looked out the viewing window, he glared at Gaara. "Show off. I'll make sure to wipe that smug look off his face." He headed for the stairs, following Dosu.

Both sides of the battle faced each other shortly. "BEGIN!"

Zaku pointed both his palms towards Gaara. "SLICING SOUND WAVES!" Powerful gusts of wind fired from his palms and towards Gaara. Instants before the attack hit, an arching wall of sand rose to intercept the attack. As the sand crumbled to the ground, Gaara was revealed to be unharmed.

Up in the viewing window, Hinata suddenly grabbed Naruto's hand, much to his surprise. Before he could start asking why, he noticed her hand trembling within his own. "Hinata-chan~?" Even with his natural obliviousness, Naruto could tell what Hinata was thinking. "You're right Hinata-chan." He turned his attention to the match. "Those two probably won't make it."

Dosu flanks to Gaara's right and uses a straight punch. This is blocked by the sand as well. "Let's see if you can block this." Using his chakra, Dosu directs specialized sound waves around the sand and to Gaara's ears. As he expected, the jutsu was not blocked.

Tazuna watched as Gaara's footing became a bit unsteady. "Isn't this a bit unfair Haku-kun? This match is two against one."

Haku turned his attention to Tazuna. "The shinobi world is not known for being fair. Back when I was with Zabuza-sama, I was forced to fight multiple opponents alone numerous times. I may have had an element of surprise, but it is essentially the same. I'm sure that those who are fighting alone also have better opportunity to impress judges."

Gaara dropped to his knees and glared at Dosu, who smirked at him. "How do you like my melody arm? It emits a special sound wave that disrupts the fluids in the inner ear, destroying your sense of balance. You'll have a hard time standing, let alone fighting."

Hiruzen looked down at the match with an analytical expression. "It looks like your genin is having trouble against those two. I hope he's the type to know when to quit."

The Kazekage chuckled. "You're getting ahead of yourself Hokage-sama. Those two haven't a chance against Gaara."

Gaara places a hand over his right ear and begins speaking under his breath. "What … what is this feeling. It's … unpleasant~." He began glaring fiercely. "I don't like it."

Up in the stands with the massive crowd of spectators, Temari's eyes widened. "Do you … feel that Kankuro."

Her brother gulped and nodded. "Yeah~." He shuddered. "If he looses it before it's time … I don't want to think about it."

"LET'S SEE YOU BLOCK IT AGAIN! SLICING SOUND WAVES!" Like before, a massive gust of wind fired from Zaku's palms. Also like before, a wall of sand rose to intercept the attack. "Tch, annoying brat. Hit him again Dosu!" Dosu repeated the same thing he did before, except hitting Gaara's left ear this time.

Shino narrowed his eyes behind his glasses. "This will not turn out well. Even my insects are feeling agitated."

Shikamaru surveyed the arena as he leaned against the edge of the viewing window. "That sand looks like its real trouble. Even when that guy can't stand straight, it still rises up to protect him. It's almost like it's involuntary."

As another powerful gust of wind blasted Gaara's sand, the red headed boy started chuckling darkly. "It's alright mother. I'll give it to you. I'll give every bit to you."

Standing in the same place that he's been since the first match, Kabuto smirked down at Gaara. "It looks like he's about to snap. Gomen Dosu-kun, Zaku-kun, but you won't be seeing tomorrow."

Dosu watched as sand whipped violently around Gaara. "This doesn't look good. This guy looks like he's getting ready to attack. I'd better prepare myself for anything."

Sakura broke her attention from the match and took notice of Lee's highly focused expression. "What is it Lee-kun."

"It's that sand. When it rises up to defend him, Gaara-san isn't controlling it. It's an ultimate defense, just like that wind armor that Naruto-kun and Hinata-chan used. Even if they can cripple Gaara-san, it doesn't do them any good when they can't land any physical attacks."

Gaara's normally expressionless face developed a grin that would scare the fluids out of any child. "Now mother, time to feed." The large amounts of sand flying around him flew out in concentrated streams towards the two Oto shinobi. Both tried to avoid the attacks, but the sand proved to be too fast for them. It started at just covering their arms, but it quickly spread to covering every inch of their bodies except their faces. The sand formed a cocoon around them with their extended arms being wrapped in a thinner layer. "Sand Coffin."

Sagesumi looked down at the match with narrowed eyes. "This match is turning fast. That proctor better call it before things turn bad."

Kotetsu, the one with cloth over his nose shook his head. "I don't think that will make a difference her. That Gaara has pure bloodlust in his eyes."

Gaara smiled a dark wide grin. "I'll reduce your existence to nothing." He chuckled. "Is that what you want … mother." He stood up and held out his open palm.

Genma appeared in the middle of the field and looked at Gaara analytically. "This doesn't look good. THE WINNER IS GAARA BY DECISION!"

Gaara's grin only grew as he quickly clenched his hand into a fist. "SAND BURIAL!"

Kin's eyes widened and her complexion paled as she heard a short moment of screams from both her original teammates. She had no doubt they were dead. "Just … just like that. They go off and get themselves killed." She noticed Kiba from the corner of her eye. "Back off puppy. I don't' need your sympathy. Kin clenched the kunai that Kiba gave her tightly. "If Dosu didn't talk to me before my match, who knows _what _I would have done."

As his grip lightened, the sand started spiraling while staying compressed. Within seconds, the sand started gaining a reddish hue. "I'll grind you into nothing." After a second, the sand flew back into the gourd on Gaara's back.

Genma watched as the sand flew back to Gaara. His eyes widened as the last of the sand disappeared. "Where are their bodies?" He then turned his attention to the gourd on Gaara's back. "Don't tell me that they've been added to his sand. … That's sick." He walked up to Gaara and glared at him. "Let me tell you something. If you pull anything like that again, I won't hesitate to disqualify you from the exams."

Gaara looked up at Genma with an extraordinarily blank expression. Without a word, Gaara made his way to the stairs leading back to the rest of the participants. After a few moments, he climbed the entirety of the steps. When he did, all of the genin looked at him warily. Gaara glanced at Naruto and Hinata for an instant before walking over to the back wall.

Hinata tried to break her attention from him, but she could constantly feel his eyes on her back. Her face slowly grew in paleness. "He wants to do that to Naruto-kun and I. … I just know it." Hinata gripped her right arm with her left hand. As she did this, she trembled slightly with her eyes closed tightly. "He wants to kill us." Her eyes opened in surprise when she felt someone taking hold of her right hand.

Naruto looked at Hinata and smiled lightly. "Don't worry. I won't let him get us Hinata-chan."

Even without him saying it, Hinata could tell what he was trying to say. She looked at him gratefully. "Arigato Naruto-kun."

As this happened, Kin constantly fought the urge to look and glare at Gaara. "I don't care how frustrated I am, I need to stay calm." She relaxed her tightened grip. "Those guys couldn't even touch him. I'm lucky Dosu had that one chance to talk to me."

"THE NEXT MATCH WILL BE KABUTO YAKUSHI VERSES SASUKE UCHIHA!"

Kabuto, who hasn't moved much since the matches began, walked straight for the stairs. He slowly descended the steps with a smile on his face. "These exams have been very interesting. Especially thanks to the first match. I've never been so interested in a single pair before in my life. I'm certain that Orochimaru-sama is equally interested."

As Kabuto came across the hallway leading to the arena and to the stands, he noticed two men standing between appearing from the later path. There wasn't much of anything special about either of them except that they both wore the same thin vest, black under shirt, and bulky scarves. Kabuto could tell from their headbands that they were from the grass village, Kusagakure. The one with his scarf covering most of his face slowly walked over to Kabuto. "I'm sorry, but you are going to have to forfeit your match."

Kabuto put on an innocent and confused expression. "Why is that sir?"

The other one stepped forward. "There are a lot of nobles that like to place bets on who will win their matches. My master has a large wager on the Uchiha. You are going to have to sit this match out."

Kabuto nearly chuckled at them. "How interesting. Should I tell them that I don't intend on wining." Kabuto watched as they both pulled out swords. "I guess it would be best not to get myself worked up." Kabuto smiled at them. "Please tell your master that he does not have to worry. I have no intention on winning this match. I merely wish to give those who came here something to watch."

The one with his face covered lowered his fighting stance. "We can't take that chance."

Kabuto adjusted his glasses as he prepared to attack. "Too bad." Kabuto easily dodged the sword strike and slapped his palm against the man's sternum. The man turned around to attack, but he suddenly collapsed.

The other man took on step back in fear. "What did you do?"

Kabuto chuckled. "I killed him of course."

The man took another step back before beginning to run. "I have to get out of here." He fell forward as he felt a stinging pain in his ankle. He tried to stand, but he found that he had no control over the movements of his foot and fell again. As he crawled forward, Kabuto rose out of the ground in front of him. His eyes appeared bloodshot red behind his glasses as the _genin_ slowly reached his hand towards the prone man. "MONSTER!"

Hiruzen leaned into the ear of the chunin at his side. "Have you heard any word on where Sasuke is?"

The man shook his head. "No luck Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen let out a sigh. "I suppose that he will have to be disqualified as soon as his opponent appears."

"If I may interject Hokage-sama, but I do not think that is a good idea." Hiruzen turned his attention to the Kazekage. "While your idea to turn the matches into two verses two certainly managed to capture a lot of attention, but there are those who were attracted by the fact that you have an Uchiha fighting this year. Since the incident I heard of, seeing an Uchiha fight is considered a rare event that anyone would pay to see. I can tell you that I have been looking forward to it myself."

Hiruzen looked at him seriously before letting out another sigh. "I will give him five minutes. If he does not show up by then, then he will have to be disqualified." He nodded to the chunin to his side.

The chunin nodded as he clearly received the order. In just a few moments, he appeared next to Genma. He whispered in the jonin's ear for a few seconds, before disappearing. Genma stood straight and looked up at the crowd. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Kabuto appearing. "DUE TO THE ABSENCE OF SASUKE UCHIHA, THERE WILL BE A SHORT INTERMISSION. IF HE IS NOT BACK IN FIVE MINUTES, WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE SECOND ROUND!"

This enraged Kiba instantly. "NANI~~~! WE WERE ALMOST DISQUALIFIED JUST BECAUSE ONE OF US WAS A LITTLE LATE! WHY DOES THAT TEME GET SPECIAL ATTENTION?" Genma looked up at Kiba, but gave no response.

Just before he could begin yelling again, Kin gave Kiba a deadly glare. As soon as she was sure he would shut up, she turned her attention towards the arena. "My patience is wearing pretty thin right now."

Naruto suddenly stepped toward Kiba. "Hey, Kiba! The only one who can call Sasuke Teme is me."

Kiba's eyes turned white. "I CAN CALL HIM WHATEVER I WANT! YOU DON'T OWN THE WORD!"

"I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN CALL HIM TEME!" As the two genin had their glaring match, Hinata chuckled into her hand.

The pair suddenly felt the force of Sakura's voice on their ears. "QUIET! YOU'RE DISTURBING EVERYONE!"

Lee smiled and pumped his fist. "Come one Sakura-chan. They are merely expressing their youthful exuberance!"

Sakura shook her head side to side. "I've really learned to hate that word."

As time passed, many of the spectators talked amongst themselves. Those who needed to decided to find a bathroom. Genma watched the watch he had on up until the last seconds of the fourth minute. "5, 4, 3, 2, 1. THE WINNER OF…."

Genma was interrupted by a large swirl of wind and leaves in the middle of the arena. As it clears, Sasuke and Kakashi are revealed. The silver haired jonin holds his hands up in a wave as his eye turned up in a U-shape. "Yo, are we late?"

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**I barely managed to get this chapter up in time. I had to think over whether I would kill off Dosu or not. (Zaku was going to die no matter what.) After the next chapter, I will start up Naruto/Hinata verses Sakura/Lee. I know many of you can't wait.**

**Next Chapter: Kabuto's True Nature  
**


	39. Kabuto's True Nature: Chapter 39

Underlined speech is thought.

_Italicized words signify emphasis put on the words or a change in tone. You should be able to figure it out from the choice of words and the character._

_Sentences of thought that are completely italicized were spoken by another character at another time._

_Italicized sections are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is bolded, it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is __underlined,_ _it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is __(__underlined__)__, it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. Songs will not use quotation marks like normal speech._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words-with-dashes-between-them-consistently-signify-when-a-character-is-talking-too-fast-to-understand.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

**Bold words are author notes.**

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: Moments after they reached the top of the stairs, Kin asked Kiba for a kunai. He protested, but she didn't give him a choice. Gaara along with Dosu and Zaku were called down to fight. At the start of the match, Zaku released the first attack which was blocked by Gaara's sand. Dosu attacked as he was distracted, messing with the balancing fluids in Gaara's ear. As Gaara's sand was still defending him, Dosu attacked the other ear as well. Gaara finally unleashed his sand, cocooning both completely. Genma tried to stop the match by naming Gaara the winner, but they were crushed regardless. When Gaara returned to the genin observation area, everyone there was extremely tense; especially Naruto and Hinata. After some silent moments, Genma called Kabuto and Sasuke down. On the way down, Kabuto encountered a few shinobi from Kusagakure. He quickly dealt with them before heading to the arena. Because he was not there yet, they decided to give Sasuke five minutes to arrive. Just one second before Kabuto would be given the win, Kakashi and Sasuke appear.)

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**Yay, Halloween chapter. All my readers get a treat today; Sasuke getting toyed with the entire match. I also decided on a new better title name and changed the previous chapter accordingly.**

**10-31-10**

**Kabuto's True Nature**

Genma glared at Kakashi in a jesting manner. "You made it at the last second. I'm sure that the crowd did not appreciate your actions."

Sasuke stepped forward and looked at Kabuto with a smirk. "Cut the chitchat and start the fight."

Kakashi shook his head side to side. "He's too impatient." Kakashi disappeared in another swirl of leaves and reappeared at the edge of the spectator's area. He looked around and noticed an interesting group. "Well, I didn't expect to see them here." He walked up to them and saluted them with his fingers. "Yo Tazuna-san."

Tsunami narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you just getting her Kakashi-san? I'd think you'd want to watch your student's matches."

Kakashi's eye turned U-shaped as he looked at the woman. "The Chunin Exams are always recorded. I was working with Sasuke so he would be ready for the exams."

She glared at him. "And what about your other students?"

"They had partners. Kiba even has a clan to help him train."

This confused all four of them. Haku decided to speak up for them. "Who may I ask is Kiba?"

Kakashi turned his attention to the young ex-shinobi. "Well~, Team Seven has experience some recent changes in lineup. After the mission in wave, we had a joint mission with Team Eight, which Hinata was a part of. After _that_ mission, I switched Naruto out with Kiba. Naruto isn't actually part of my team anymore."

Haku's expression became stoic. "That explains something. I was always bothered by how he had four genin with him when I know the usual limit is three. Hinata-san must have been added due to the mission's suspicious nature. … Why weren't Naruto-san and Hinata-san in the same team from the start?"

Kakashi looked up with a confused expression. "I was never actually told why they weren't put in the same team from the start. Hokage-sama did say that he regretted doing so. When he decided to add Hinata to the mission, it was on impulse. Things have been pretty interesting since then."

Tsunami narrowed her eyes. "You shouldn't think of your students in that way. It doesn't fit a sensei's role."

Kakashi leaned towards her with a smile under his mask and a lazy eyelid. "In my head, I can play whatever role I want to. It's also fun to make others play certain roles."

Tsunami blushed and backed off a bit. Tazuna watched and grunted. "I hope you're not trying to hit on my daughter Kakashi-san."

Kakashi sat down in a spot next to Haku and chuckled. "Wouldn't think of it."

"BEGIN!"

Kakashi turned his attention to the arena. "Looks like the fight has begun."

Sasuke wasted no time attacking. He charged forward and punched Kabuto's face. Sasuke's eyes widened a bit as he was pushed back by the blow. Kabuto covered his face while stumbling back. After he uncovered it, his face started showing signs of bruising. Kabuto then held his hand out in a placating manner. "Can't we talk first Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Maybe it was my imagination. This is a match. I don't have time to waste talking to you." Sasuke ran forward again. Kabuto brought up an arm to block Sasuke's fist and deflected his arm. Sasuke quickly unleashed a wide kick which hit Kabuto on the side. Sasuke's eyes widened as Kabuto was knocked away. "There's that feeling again."

Kabuto watched as Sasuke glared at him. "This is going to be fun." He stood up and clutched his side. "So this is the strength of an Uchiha of Konoha?" He said that more like a question than a statement.

Sasuke's eyes widened in anger. "Don't mess with me!" His eyes turned red with two tomoe surrounding the pupils. "I haven't begun to show you what an Uchiha can do!"

Up in the Hokage's viewing area, Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. "That's odd. I'm certain that Kabuto has forfeited every Chunin Exam he's gone to. He's showing an unusually high level of skill today."

The Kazekage looked down with a similar interest. "If this keeps up, Sasuke-kun will receive a large wound upon his ego. You are doing good work Kabuto-kun. I don't have to question your loyalty any longer."

Sasuke ran forward at high speed. Just when he reached Kabuto, he leaned back and performed a powerful upward kick that sent Kabuto into the air. Sasuke then jumped up, appearing right behind Kabuto. From there, he spun and kicked Kabuto's side but was blocked. He used that leverage to raise his body and back-fist Kabuto in the face, which knocked his head back. Sasuke clenched his teeth as he rotated higher up and used his other let to land a powerful heel drop. Kabuto was pushed down and crashed into the ground. Sasuke looked down at this with wide angry eyes. "He used an Earth jutsu to lessen the impact." When he landed, Sasuke glared at Kabuto fiercely. "He's toying with me."

Kabuto stood up while holding his back like an elderly man. "So this is the strength you've attained here Sasuke-kun?"

The way Kabuto said it angered Sasuke. "He's mocking me!" Sasuke lowered his stance before running around Kabuto in a circle.

Up with the other genin, the eyes of Sakura and Lee widened. "That speed … it's just like you Lee-kun."

Lee nodded. "Your right. It's astonishing that he could mimic my movements so well from the short fight we had before the first part of the exams assuming that he has not viewed me at a different time. The Sharingan is truly a terrifying jutsu."

Kabuto smiled and adjusted his glasses. "Playing around like this is pretty fun." He jerked forward as Sasuke jabbed him in the back of the head. He then began showing signs of multiple blows from every direction.

Tazuna looked down at the match with a bored expression. "Well this isn't much to look at. That Kabuto kid is getting totally dominated."

Kakashi narrowed his eye. "I'm not too sure. Most genin would have gone down with all the blows he's received. Also, Sasuke seems to be getting frustrated for some reason." Kakashi placed his hand over the headband covering his other eye. "I can't see what's happening from this distance." When Kakashi uncovered his Sharingan eye, he stood up in shock.

Haku looked up at him with a confused expression. "Is something wrong Kakashi-san?"

Kakashi took a breath before sitting down. "It's fine. There is nothing wrong."

Tsunami glared at him. "You're a bold faced liar."

Kakashi chuckled nervously as the four stared at him. He sighed before looking at the fight seriously. "Not a single one of Sasuke's blows are landing cleanly. I don't know how he's doing it but Kabuto is not only predicting all of Sasuke's attacks, he's backing off from them just enough to absorb the damage and pretend he's getting hurt."

As Haku's eyes widened in surprise, Tazuna looked at Kakashi questioningly. "Is it possible for that kid to be that good?"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "It's not impossible. The scary part is that the person would have to be at least on my own level of skill to pull something like this off as effortlessly as he makes it look. Guy is the only person I can think of. I doubt that many others have even noticed."

Sasuke continued attacking the evasive Kabuto. "Who is this guy? I can't hit him even with my Sharingan."

Sasuke began closing in the circle around Kabuto. Kabuto smirked just as the distance became very small. Just as he backed away from another blow, Kabuto stuck out his leg in a show of maintaining his balance. Even with his Sharingan, Sasuke did not have enough time to avoid tripping over the leg. The Uchiha flipped mid-air and used his hands to flip multiple times before landing solidly on his feet. Kabuto hunched over and smiled through his fake injuries. "Whew~, what a lucky break."

This effectively infuriated Sasuke completely. He unfastened a pair of metal buttons on the clamps around his hands. He then performed three hand-seals while spreading his fingers out in-between each seal. "Let's see you avoid this."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "So you are going to use that Sasuke?"

Kabuto raised his right hand high into the air. "I forfeit!"

Genma looked over at Kabuto for a few seconds and narrowed his eyes. "THE WINNER IS SASUKE UCHIHA BY FORFEIT!"

Kabuto looked as Sasuke and smiled. "So _that's_ your strength Sasuke-kun. I wonder how strong you'd be if you trained under someone much stronger." Kabuto walked calmly towards the entrance that he came in from."

Sasuke's Sharingan deactivated as the Uchiha continued glaring at Kabuto. "HE COMPLETELY TOYED WITH ME!"

Genma walked up to Sasuke. "You won Sasuke. You should make your way up to where the rest of the genin are. You can worry about your victory later."

Sasuke nodded as his expression relaxed. "Jonin must be able to notice this." Sasuke turned around and made his way to the other path leading to where the rest of the genin were.

Hiruzen looked down at the arena with an extremely suspicious expression. With a single motion of his fingers, a hidden ANBU shinobi behind him appeared. Hiruzen leaned into the black-ops shinobi's ear. "Take three others with you and find out who this Kabuto is."

As the ANBU disappeared, the Kazekage looked at Hiruzen with a sadistic look in his eyes. "Trouble in paradise Hokage-sama?"

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes. "I hope not."

The Kazekage chuckled at this answer. "Perhaps you should think of retiring soon. You are~ getting alone in years and the future is rather … unpredictable. Do you have an idea of who will succeed you?"

Hiruzen stared at the Kazekage for a few seconds before he started chuckling. He stopped after a few seconds. "I'm not quite ready to retire yet. I think it will be five years before I decide to hand over the torch to these younglings."

As Sasuke approached the top of the stairs, he saw Sakura and Lee waiting for him. Sakura smiled at him gently. "Great fight Sasuke-kun."

He narrowed his eyes in irritation. When he looked at Lee, Sasuke noticed that his expression was a littler more on the confused side. Seeing the chance to speak, Lee prepared his question. "Sasuke-kun … I can't quite put my finger on it, but that fight seemed a bit off somehow. Do you know what was going on?"

Sasuke turned his irritated expression towards Lee. "That's not any of your business."

Sakura watched Sasuke walk by with a confused expression. "Since when has Sasuke-kun been so rude?"

Four ANBU black-ops shinobi ran through the path between Kabuto's side of the arena and the stands. They reached a junction and instantly split into pairs. After a few seconds passed, Kabuto raised out of the ground. "It looks like I drew a lot of attention to myself. If I don't make my way out of this, Orochimaru-sama will be disappointed in me." He took out a scroll and unsealed a full ANBU outfit, complete with a mask and a cloak. As soon as he donned the outfit, he disappeared back into the ground. He then reappeared high up in the stands where there were no people around him. "Now … I have to wait for the perfect time for my Nirvana Temple Genjutsu. I'll capture the most targets the more focused they are on something else."

Genma looked up at the large number of spectators. "THE NEXT MATCH WILL BE NARUTO UZUMAKI AND HINATA HYUGA VERSES ROCK LEE AND SAKURA HARUNO! BEFORE THIS MATCH BEGINS, THERE WILL BE A HALF-HOUR BREAK UNTIL NOW!"

There was a considerable amount of disgruntlement among the spectators, but many of them were feeling the effects of nature's call at this time. Many left their seats to find the facilities the coliseum provided.

Down with the rest of the genin, Lee wasted no time in speaking to Naruto and Hinata. "Are you ready? Today is a fine day for the clashing of flames of youth."

Sakura gave him a light smack in the back of the head. "You sound even weirder than usual Lee-kun. If you have to get so fired up, then can you at least save it for when the match starts?"

Naruto snickered under his breath. "You got whipped Bushy-brow." The blond immediately stopped when Sakura glared at him.

Hinata chuckled at the entire scene. "Both of you really suit each other."

Lee took Hinata's hands into his own as tears started running down his face. "Arigato Hinata-chan!"

Sakura smacked him in the back of the head again. "Don't get ahead of yourself Lee-kun."

Lee turned around and gave her a thumbs-up. "Does that mean we have a future?"

Sakura shook her head and started rubbing her forehead. "I can't keep up with Lee-kun's pace."

Lee turned his attention back to Naruto and Hinata. "Let's have a heated battle. Don't hold back."

Naruto smiled at Lee and nodded. Sakura shook her head side to side. "Doesn't Lee-kun see how dangerous those two are if they don't hold back."

The thirty minutes passed quickly and the four were called down to the arena. Genma raised his hand and snapped it down. "BEGIN!"

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**MWAHAHAHA! I am a cruel writer to leave you guys hanging like that yet again. I have absolutely no idea on how I am going to start the next match, but I'm sure something will come to me. I already know how I plan to end it.**

**Next Chapter: Speed of Wind.**


	40. Speed of Wind: Chapter 40

Underlined speech is thought.

_Italicized words signify emphasis put on the words or a change in tone. You should be able to figure it out from the choice of words and the character._

_Sentences of thought that are completely italicized were spoken by another character at another time._

_Italicized sections are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is bolded, it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is __underlined,_ _it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is __(__underlined__)__, it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. Songs will not use quotation marks like normal speech._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words-with-dashes-between-them-consistently-signify-when-a-character-is-talking-too-fast-to-understand.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: Arriving in the knick of time, Sasuke had little patience for the start of the match. Kakashi went up to the spectators and noticed Haku, Tazuna, and his family. The fight was started and Sasuke immediately started attacking Kabuto. He immediately started feeling something strange with each attack. Even with the Sharingan activated, Sasuke continued getting frustrated. When Kakashi unveiled his Sharingan eye, he began noticing that Kabuto was just toying with Sasuke. When Sasuke started using ninjutsu, Kabuto forfeited the match. Because of Kabuto's obviously high level, Hiruzen had some ANBU try to find the _genin_. Four ANBU took on the task but could not find him before he put on a disguise and made his way to the spectators. As a thirty minute break was established, everyone waited anxiously for the match of Naruto and Hinata verses Lee and Sakura.

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**11-14-10**

**Speed of Wind**

"Break them up Lee-kun!"

Obeying Sakura's command, Lee ran forward. Naruto crossed his fingers. "Shadow Clone Jutsu."

Three clones appeared between them and Lee, who quickly dispatched them with his skilled taijutsu. With her Byakugan already activated, Hinata attacked Lee through the smoke of the dispersed clones and pushed him back with her palm strike. Lee clenched the spot that Hinata hit. "Hinata-san's Gentle Fist hurts no less than Neji's. This won't be easy even if they don't react."

Sakura followed after Lee and zoned in on Naruto while smirking. "Naruto has never been able to not let me hit him." The fearful expression on Naruto's face bolstered Sakura's confidence.

Hinata quickly jumped in her way. "Naruto-kun told me that he couldn't bring himself to hurt Sakura-san. I'll be your opponent. If I don't do this, Naruto-kun won't be able to go all out."

Sakura looked at Hinata apprehensively. "I have to be careful. Lee-kun warned me about the Gentle Fist. I won't be able to do my chakra enhanced punches if my chakra flow is blocked up."

Hinata narrowed her activated eyes. "I have to block her chakra and stop those chakra enhanced punches." With her Byakugan, Hinata could see Sakura concentrating chakra in her fists.

Sakura made the first move and Hinata smoothly dodged out of the way of her attacks. Naruto watched this for a few seconds before turning his attention to Lee. "I have to keep Bushy Brow distracted while Hinata-chan fights Sakura. Shadow Clone Jutsu."

Lee stood up to see himself surrounded by a group of Naruto clones. He smirked at the sight. "I see. If you want to fight me one-on-one Naruto-kun, then I'm happy to oblige." All the Naruto charged forwards with their fists drawn back.

The Kazekage looked down at the match with his eyes narrowed in confusion as Lee worked his way through the clones. "Why don't they react at the start of the match? It would be easy to win with that kind of power."

Hiruzen smiled a grandfatherly smile. "I believe that is for Hinata's sake. If all they did was react in every match, Hinata would only be seen as a weapon rather than as someone who can think for herself. Naruto would be the only one getting the attention."

"If that is the case, then it seems to me that the girl would be much better off if she could use those powers without the need for that boy."

Hiruzen glanced at the Kazekage for a second before turning his attention on Hinata. "I'm not too sure of that. From what I've heard, Hinata has been someone who lacked confidence. If it wasn't for the connection to Naruto, this would have likely persisted and impeded her progress as a shinobi."

Sagesumi looked down at Sakura with narrowed eyes. "That Sakura improved her taijutsu by leaps and bounds when she was training and she can give her punches a nice power boost; but that doesn't mean much against someone she can't hit. That Hinata can do more than I originally thought." She turned her attention to Lee, who was busy destroying Naruto's clones. "Next to her, that Naruto seems a bit useless."

Hinata deflected the string of blows that Sakura launched. "I can't believe how easy this is. Next to Neji-nii-san, this is almost effortless." As a blow slid just past Hinata's arms, she extended a finger to pierce a chakra point. Hinata smiled just a little when Sakura attacked with the other arm. She allowed the attack to graze her body and hit Sakura directly. Sakura began backing away and Hinata followed up on her attacks without hesitation.

Lee noticed this happening on the outer edge of his vision. "Sakura-chan's in trouble." After quickly dealing with a clone, Lee built up some distance and removed the weights from his legs. The moment he let them go, he was off like a bullet.

When Hinata caught Lee's movements in her vision, she barely had enough time to put up her arms in a hasty block. The strength behind Lee's blow sent her flying from Sakura. After a less than smooth landing, Hinata stood up. She started rubbing her arms. "Lee-san's kicks are strong."

Sakura clutched her side as Lee helped her stand. "Not good. I'm out if I get hit by one more of those."

Naruto took notice of how he and Hinata were separated. "Shadow Clone Jutsu." Two clones appeared and linked their hands together. Naruto placed his feet in the clones' hands. In one motion, they threw him into the air as he jumped.

Sakura took notice of this. "ABOVE US!" Lee reacted instantly and jumped towards Naruto. The blond noticed and crossed his fingers. Lee reached him before he could call out the jutsu and sent him away with a powerful kick. Sakura smiled. "We won't let them get together." At the sound of feet against a grassy ground, Sakura's eyes widened. When she finished turning her head, she saw that Hinata was already mid-attack. With no time to even block, Sakura was hit directly in the solar plexus.

Hiashi looked down at this with a small smile on his face as Sakura slowly fell down. "That went exactly as expected."

Hizashi looked his brother in the eyes. "What do you mean Hiashi-sama?"

"During the month period, I helped Hinata and Naruto develop the ability to get together and react. As they trained in this, my daughter realized something crucial."

"And that is?"

"When someone who knows about their power is focused on keeping them separate, they become less focused on defending themselves from the individual. Even with my Byakugan, they manage to get very close to injuring me many times. Genin without this asset are at a great disadvantage."

Lee looked down in shock as Sakura lay on the ground. He could only wait for gravity to bring him down as Hinata made her way to Naruto. As he looked at his unconscious partner, he let out a sigh. "I apologize Sakura-chan." He landed before Hinata reached Naruto yet he just stood there watching them. "I do not feel right trying to win when my adversaries have not used their full strength."

Naruto stood up just as Hinata reached him. The Hyuga was busy keeping her eyes on Lee, who was calmly looking at both of them. "What's Bushy Brow doing Hinata-chan?"

Hinata lowered her guard a little. "I think he want's us to react."

Naruto looked at Lee for a second before smiling. "If that's what Bushy Brow wants then that's what we're going to give him." Hinata nodded and took Naruto's hand. After a second, the energies begin to slowly build up around them.

_On a helpless but pretty (night)  
Soothing and comforting  
And prospering on the (eyelids)  
Surrounded by the lively and bright fields of (heaven)  
As (I), at this moment  
Make this promise to join like (twins)  
Like a string of breaths  
Winds grab a hold of (us)  
I, at this moment  
And through eternity  
Wear the winds of the red soul  
As I make this promise  
(And bind my soul to yours)_

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "They were in complete synch this time."

Haku looked forward with a blank expression. "What does that mean Kakashi-san?"

"When they normally react, their song has some parts where Naruto's voice is dominant and parts where Hinata's voice is dominant. This time, they were completely even."

Haku nodded. "I see." He paused for a second. "Now that I think about it, there was no such thing in their last match either. Do they become stronger when their voices are more in synch?"

"They do."

Might Guy looked down at the match with a serious expression. "I understand your feelings my proud student. That power is the what felled Tenten and Neji, your teammates. Nothing would be a greater test of your youthful flames than to face that power head on."

Sagesumi glared at Lee as she tapped her feet in frustration. "THAT STUPID IDIOTIC BRAIN-DEAD BAKA! FIRST HE GIVES THAT HINATA THE PERFECT CHANCE TO TAKE DOWN SAKURA AND NOW HE LET'S THEM REACT! AFTER ALL THE TROUBLE I WENT THROUGH TO HELP THEM TRAIN AND THIS IS HOW THEY FIGHT! THEY'LL BE GENIN THEIR WHOLE LIFE LIKE THAT!"

Lee wasted no time in attacking the combined pair. "DYNAMIC ENTRY!"

As Lee flew towards him with a leg extended, Naruto turned the broad side of the blade to block the attack. He slid back for a moment before swinging the weapon. The Guy impersonator leapt off with no effort. The ethereal Hinata placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Lee-san is really fast and strong. We'll need more speed."

Naruto smiled widely. "Alright. I was waiting for you to say that."

Hinata smiled. "Ever since we discovered his, Naruto has loved doing it."

_I sensed you in a comfortable dream (tonight)  
I sing this song to dream of you (again)  
Whoever gets in the way of this dream will regret **(**it**)  
**For I will send them into a deep, deep (sleep)_

Lee instantly recognized the lyrics. "Those are the words for that ultimate defense." He smiled. "Let's see if I can break through that which was superior to Neji's Rotation."

_**Do not,** do not … Touch us!_

Lee lowered his stance as he gave the winds surrounding the pair a fiery glare. "I am sorry Guy-sensei. If I want to break through that wind, I will need to break the seal on that jutsu." He closed his eyes and focused. "FIRST GATE, GATE OF OPENING: … OPEN~!"

Hinata narrowed her eyes. "Lee-san is giving off a lot of chakra."

Before everyone's eyes, Lee disappeared. Only shinobi could tell that Lee was simply moving at high speed around the pair. With his Sharingan, Sasuke could see every movement clearly. "So he's going to use that. It's just as I imagined it. Just how far will those _special skills~ _take them against that kind of speed?"

Naruto only smiled. "Tell me when Hinata-chan."

Lee stopped in an instant and then pushed towards the pair. "Front Lotus." With his speed and power, Lee broke through the wind and prepared to kick Naruto into the air. Just as his foot reached Naruto, the blond disappeared. "Where'd he go?" His eyes widened when a salmon colored blade was placed against his neck. Lee bolted forward and turned around to find no one there. He froze in place when that very same blade was once again placed against his neck. Lee turned his head to see Naruto standing at the sword's maximum length away.

Hiashi looked down at them with a smile as Hizashi looked down in shock. "How can they be moving that fast?"

"That wind armor is doing more than protecting them from damage. It also removes the most limiting factor on a shinobi's speed … wind resistance." The Hyuga head could feel a great amount of excitement rising up from within. "This is more space than they ever had in the underground training area. I can't remember the last time I felt like this."

As he looked at Naruto's expression, Lee smiled. "I never expected them to be this strong and fast. SECOND GATE, GATE OF REST: … OPEN!" Lee ran away at even greater speed before turning his head to face the pair. Naruto closed the distance quickly and swung the emerald colored blunt side at Lee as he was still running. Lee tried to dodge, but was too slow and got knocked into the wall at the far side. As he pushed himself from the crack in the wall, Lee smiled. "They still outran me." His expression turned serious. "I can't let this match end yet. I won't be satisfied with myself. THIRD GATE, GATE OF LIFE: … OPEN!"

Guy clapped his hands together and prayed. "Please. Do not take this further than you need to Lee."

Lee's hair floated into the air and dust was kicked up as the chakra swirled around him. As this happened, his skin turned red from a large amount of blood flow. He braced himself before literally exploding forward. Naruto dashed to the side, forcing Lee to change direction and destroy another section of ground. The only clue that most spectators had of what was happening was a veil of wind forming behind Naruto and the path of destruction caused by Lee's feet. The majority of those who could actually follow the connecting attacks were jonin rank.

The two Kage looked down at the match with a look in their eyes that could only be called astonishment. "This is not the level of combat you would expect from genin Kazekage-sama."

"I agree. I am truly jealous that you have such fine specimens among your roster. I would love nothing more than to have them."

Hiruzen looked at the Kazekage with suspicion. "You should be a bit more careful of what you say. I can't put my finger on it but something seems a bit off about the Kazekage. The way he is talking is putting me on edge."

Kabuto shook his head to break his focus from the high speed battle. "I can't imagine anyone wanting to break their attention from this match. The one using the inner gates won't last long." He formed a single hand seal. "The timing is perfect."

Naruto swung the weapon down to counter a kick from Lee. The contact sent both attacks away. Naruto backed off from a counter attack. "This is unbelievable. If it wasn't for Hinata-chan, I couldn't move like this." Naruto dashed to the side and Lee followed him.

Kakashi watched all the movements around Naruto carefully. "That wind is impressive stuff. It is blocking all of the wind around them and negating all of the wind resistance. I have no doubt that Hinata is controlling all the movements of that wind. Whenever Naruto decides to change his direction of movement, the winds automatically start moving in a way that keeps him from losing control. They must have trained hard to learn how to move at those speeds. Sasuke had to train really hard just to come close to having that kind of speed."

Haku closed his eyes. "I wish that I had not lost my sight now. I would love nothing more than to see this with my own eyes."

The ethereal Hinata's eyes started to droop a bit. "I'm getting tired Naruto-kun."

"Right. TIME TO FINISH THIS!" He turned around and ran towards Lee in an instant. Lee released an upward blow and Naruto struck downwards with the blunt end. Rather than let their attacks be bounced back, both genin pushed their attacks against the other's. The ground below Lee's feet was being destroyed by the pressure of their combined efforts.

The ethereal Hinata narrowed her eyes. "NOW!"

Lee's eyes widened when the resistance against his attack disappeared along with the weapon on Naruto's arm. Lee prepared to pull away, but stumbled as he forced his leg out of the ground. "GENTLE FIST!"

Hinata's open palm hit Lee right below his neck. Within seconds, Lee could feel his enhanced state fading quickly. "She's forcing the third gate closed."

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Clones rushed out and grabbed Lee's arms.

Hinata jerked her hand back and attacked his sternum directly. After he jerked forward, Lee smiled. "This was a great match guys."

Large number of spectators prepared to yell out their appreciation for the great match. Many failed to notice numerous white feathers appearing before their eyes.

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**I'm quite happy with the twist that I gave that wind armor. I almost forgot to explain how it worked outside of blocking out wind resistance. People have been asking a certain question and now you have your answer.**

**Next Chapter: The Attack Begins.**


	41. The Attack Begins: Chapter 41

Underlined speech is thought.

_Italicized words signify emphasis put on the words or a change in tone. You should be able to figure it out from the choice of words and the character._

_Sentences of thought that are completely italicized were spoken by another character at another time._

_Italicized sections are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is bolded, it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is __underlined,_ _it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is __(__underlined__)__, it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. Songs will not use quotation marks like normal speech._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words-with-dashes-between-them-consistently-signify-when-a-character-is-talking-too-fast-to-understand.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

(Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: The match began with Lee going to split the pair up and Sakura attacking Naruto. Hinata intercepted Sakura as Naruto sent his clones after Lee. Hinata had an easy time dealing with Sakura as Lee easily dealt with Naruto's clones. Lee turned to save Sakura from a finishing blow. After this, Naruto used his clones to try to jump over to Hinata, but Lee intercepted. This gave Hinata a second chance to take out Sakura. Lee then allowed Naruto and Hinata a chance to react. To counter Lee removing his weights, the pair used their wind armor. This wind also had the effect of greatly increasing Naruto's movement speed. The high speed fight continued until Lee reached a stalemate with the pair. Hinata broke off the reaction and forcefully closed Lee's chakra gate before he could react. She then followed with a finishing blow as Naruto's clones held him down.

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**11-28-10**

**The Attack Begins**

Gaara's eyes widened slightly when he noticed the white feathers appear. Memories of his jonin leader's orders went through the red-head's mind. "_The beginning of the war will be signaled by a genjutsu that puts the targets to sleep. When you see white feathers, you are to let the genjutsu put you to sleep._" Gaara developed a snarling grin. "I'll sleep when I chose to." He formed a generic hand-seal. "Release!"

Kin formed the exact same seal. "Release!" She looked over to Kiba, who was looking around in confusion. "The idiot doesn't even realize it's a genjutsu." She quickly tapped him on the arm. "I'm not going to let him sleep through this."

Haku's eyes widened completely. "These feathers are way to clear for them to be real. They have to be a genjutsu." He formed the hand-seal. "Release!" He looked over to Kakashi, who was also dispelling the genjutsu from the vague shapes he could see.

All over the stadiums, shinobi began dispelling an unknown genjutsu. Those who failed to do so began to be knocked out by the jutsu's effect. Down in the arena, Hinata struggled with the genjutsu as she watched Naruto fall down. "If only I could get my hands to listen."

Genma caught her when she nearly stumbled. Hinata could feel him pump a burst of chakra into her body. "You look like that genjutsu was giving you trouble. That's not what I expected from a Hyuga."

Now more alert, Hinata lowered herself to her knees. "Using my power always makes me sleepy."

Genma nodded in understanding. "I see. That genjutsu's purpose was to put the target to sleep. When they are already sleepy, it is more effective." He looked up to examine all the civilians falling asleep. "Get Sakura and Lee out of here after you wake your partner. I get the feeling that things are going to get dicey."

Hinata nodded then quickly shot a burst of chakra into Naruto's shoulder. The blond groaned as he slowly started to wake up. "What happened?"

Naruto became alert after noticing Hinata's panicked expression. "I d-don't know. … A-anyways, we have to get Lee-san and S-Sakura-san inside. Use your clones Naruto-kun."

Still confused on the situation, Naruto only nodded at Hinata's command. He stood up and formed the hand-seal. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Four clones appeared with two going to Sakura or picking up Lee. The clones carried them over to the nearest doorway. "What's going on Hinata-chan?" Their eyes widened when they heard an explosion. The three looked up to the Kage's observational area, which was shrouded in smoke. A second passed before they saw the man dressed as Kazekage dragging the Hokage to the roof with his arm around the aged shinobi's neck. Only three more seconds passed as four figures took a rectangular formation around the Kage. One second passed as a large violet box appeared and a member of ANBU runs into the walls, bursting into flames as a result. "What is that?"

Hinata's eyes widened. "WATCH OUT!" She tackled Naruto to the side as Genma backed away. Sand shoots out to where Naruto was an instant later. Hinata lifts herself from on top of Naruto and looks over to see Gaara directing his sand back into his gourd. She stands up, followed by Naruto. "What's going on?"

"Blood~. I WANT YOUR BLOOD~~~~!" A thick stream of sand was sent after Naruto and Hinata. Hinata leapt forward without hesitation and tried to attack the sand with her Gentle Fist. This failed and the sand started to encompass her arm. The maniac expression on Gaara's face caused Hinata to panic and begin a fruitless attempt to pull her arm free. "SAND COFFIN!" A large sphere of sand heading towards her exploded out and began closing in on her.

"HINATA-CHAN!" Naruto ran forward and grabbed Hinata's hand, which was the only part of her upper body not covered in sand. Light and wind began forming around them.

Gaara laughed madly. "YOU ARE TOO LATE! … SAND BURIAL~!" His eyes widened when the sand was blasted away by an explosion of wind. Hinata was gone and what remained was her weapon form.

_Messengers of the wind who serve me  
Hidden within the darkness before the break of **(**dawn**)**  
Gather before you and quickly awaken the soul  
As dawn slowly (approaches)  
Let us put our dreams together against the hazy moon  
Now we two are one, joined in the darkness of the night  
Lit by moonbeam and strengthened by **(**dreams**)**_

Naruto took the massive sword that was Hinata and swung it down. "NOTUS CODE!" A large concentration of wind was fired directly at Gaara. This wind tore through the ground with terrifying force. A wall of sand rose up to protect Gaara from the attack but was easily blasted away. The wind pushed Gaara back and slammed him against the sides of the arena.

Gaara's siblings looked down at this with shocked expressions. Temari quickly pulled out her large fan and rode it down to the arena. "GAARA~!"

Kankuro watched his sister in surprise. "What's she doing? This _isn't_ part of the plan. As if Gaara acting on his own wasn't bad enough." After a second, Kankuro began following after his sister. "I don't even know why I'm doing this."

Hiruzen glanced to the side where the man dressed as the Kazekage was holding him. "So. It has been you all along … Orochimaru." The man used his free hand to tear off his mask and even his face. The face underneath was pale with purple marks under the eyes. "What is the meaning of this Orochimaru?"

Orochimaru chuckled at the Hokage. "A student can't pay a visit to his sensei from time to time."

"You've never been one for such things."

"Too~ true. The real reason I'm here is to … destroy Konoha."

Hiruzen quickly knocked away the hand holding a kunai to his neck and put some distance between him and Orochimaru. "I won't let you! I'd die before I let that happen."

Sagesumi looked to her right, where the chunin Izumo and Kotetsu stood up. Izumo looked at her calmly. "You might want to get out of here."

Sagesumi glared at him. "Shut up. Someone tried to put a genjutsu on me and I'm going to pay them back for it." She began noticing movement among some of the civilians that should have been asleep. "It looks like I'll get my chance."

Kakashi looked over to Haku who pulled out some hidden senbon. "I thought that you were finished as a shinobi Haku. Are you sure you should be drawing attention to yourself like that?"

Haku glanced over to Kakashi. "I am hoping that you will draw more attention. Tazuna-san and his family took me in. I will do what I can to protect them."

Kakashi smirked at this. "I see. Make sure you don't attack any Konoha shinobi by accident." The jonin turned his attention away from Haku. "I know that you are hiding in the crowd! Show yourselves!" A second later, numerous members of the civilians jumped out of their disguises and revealed their selves to be Otogakure shinobi.

From their high position above all the spectators, the Inuzuka could see everything that was happening. Tsume snarled in her anger. "So this is what is happening. The shinobi from Oto are attacking us."

Hana noticed a few others. "It's not just Oto Kaa-san. Suna is also attacking."

Kuromaru looked up at his partner with a serious curiosity. "What will you do about Kiba and Akamaru? Their teammate is a member of Oto. I'm not sure they know how to deal with betrayal."

Tsume closed her eyes in thought for a second before opening them. "Kiba is a big boy. We have to begin evacuations." She turned her back on the center arena. "If that girl puts one scratch on my pup, I will hunt her down."

Down with the other genin, Kin lowered her gaze. "So it's begun." She quickly backed away from the group of Konoha genin and put her back to the stairs.

Though his attention was on what was happening in the arena, Kiba noticed Kin's quick movements. When he looked at her, he saw her holding a kunai towards them threateningly. "That's the kunai I gave her. Kin, what are you doing?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Can't you tell what is happening? This is an attack on Konoha."

Kiba's eyes widened a bit. "What are you talking about?"

"You don't get it, do you? This was planned from the very beginning. Oto has been scheming with Suna to attack Konoha during the Chunin Exams. This was all planed by Orochimaru."

Shino took a single step towards the Oto kunoichi. "You must realize the probabilities of defeating us all. It would be a simple task to capture you."

Kin repositioned Kiba's kunai so that it would be perpendicular to her fist. "I know that." In one motion, she brought the kunai's point up towards herself.

Down in the arena, Naruto watched as Gaara's teammates and a man he recognized as Gaara's jonin sensei collected between him and the wall Gaara was slammed into. "We need another attack Hinata-chan."

Naruto could feel the weight of the ethereal Hinata on his shoulders. "Gomen … I can't, Naruto-kun."

Naruto's eyes widened when the react broke and Hinata's physical body reappeared. She immediately fell into his arms. "Drat! We've used too much power. Reacting instantly like that takes too much from Hinata-chan."

Kankuro and Temari were simultaneously surprised by the separation. "What happened?"

Their jonin sensei narrowed the eye not covered by a veil of cloth. "No matter what kind it is, all power comes at a cost. Using too much at once puts a large strain on the girl." A closer inspection allowed him to see that Naruto's eyelids were also heavy. "That power also exhausts the boy as well."

They looked behind at the sound of cracking earth. Only a small amount of movement could be seen in the shadow of the crater created by the attack from Naruto and Hinata. They could hear some quiet mumbling. The screech that came made even their bones shiver. "BLOOD~~~! IT'S MY~ BLOOD~~!"

Temari turned around completely and looked in shock. The amount of light reaching the right side of Gaara's body was enough to let her clearly see a thin stream of blood on his face. The look in his eye was one of complete rage. The eyes of all the Suna shinobi there widened when his left half came into view. All of his arm was covered in compacted sand with a few intricate violet lines that ended in a deformed hand with four main fingers and two smaller ones on the side; recognizable due to gray fingertips.

The jonin proctor looked on at this with narrowing eyes. He then turned his attention to Naruto. "You need to get Hinata and yourself out of here."

"But."

"No questions! I'm sure you can handle yourself but we don't need any unconscious bodies lying around in a battle field. Consider this an A-ranked mission. Avoid conflict until she wakes up."

Naruto took Hinata into his arms. "Yes sir!" He turned his back to the group and began running.

"YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE ME NARUTO UZUMAKI!" Gaara took his sand covered and extended it towards the fleeing genin. Genma moved to intercept the attack. Gaara became instantly enraged when he noticed this. "OUT OF MY WAY!"

Gaara arched his arm towards Genma by turning his body. Genma practically rolled over the fast moving attack and then glared at the Suna genin. "It's a good thing he's not hard to distract." Gaara brought his hand down and pierced the ground with his four main fingers. Genma's eyes widened as Gaara pull his self forward with great speed. The jonin could not react in time to prevent Gaara chasing after Naruto. "There went my wishful thinking." He turned to face the two other Suna genin and their jonin sensei.

The Suna jonin glanced down at his genin charges. "You two need to chase after Gaara. He is an essential part of the invasion so we need him back. The threat those other two posses is nothing if we only get Gaara back."

Temari and Kankuro nodded. "Hai Baki-sensei." The pair wasted no time in chasing after their brother.

Genma thought to chase after them, but he dared not to with Baki watching over him with his piercing gaze. Baki smirked at the Konoha jonin's unwavering attention. "You're not bad. You did well realizing that I'd take you down if you tried chasing after them." His smirk disappeared. "I'm only partially confident in those two being able to stop Gaara. If they can't, then Gaara will still go on a rampage after catching his targets."

"That's only if he manages to catch him." The eyes of the jonin turned towards the source of the voice, Shino Aburame. "Naruto is known for pulling pranks in his academy years. He was often pursued by a few chunin at once after pulling a prank. Kurenai-sensei realized this elusion talent and refined it for application outside of village settings. With Hinata's life at stake, it would take a jonin tracker-nin to find him." Shino turned his attention solely on Genma. "I stayed behind to deliver this message. The others should be providing assistance."

Baki's eyes slowly widened. "What others?"

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**I think I'll call this the end of the chapter. What happened here certainly was not what you readers were expecting. Don't worry. Hinata won't be asleep forever.**

**Next Chapter: Naruto's Elusion.**


	42. Naruto's Evasion: Chapter 42

Underlined speech is thought.

_Italicized words signify emphasis put on the words or a change in tone. You should be able to figure it out from the choice of words and the character._

_Sentences of thought that are completely italicized were spoken by another character at another time._

_Italicized sections are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is bolded, it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is __underlined,_ _it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is __(__underlined__)__, it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. Songs will not use quotation marks like normal speech._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words-with-dashes-between-them-consistently-signify-when-a-character-is-talking-too-fast-to-understand.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: Many of the shinobi quickly noticed that a genjutsu was being used on them. Hinata fought against the effects until Genma dispelled it for her. After Naruto was woken up, he had some clones remove the defeated Lee and Sakura. As this happened, the Hokage was taken by Orochimaru disguised at the Kazekage to the roof before being incased a violet barrier. After this, Gaara attacked Naruto and Hinata. Hinata dove into an attack to protect Naruto and was quickly encased in sand. Naruto grabbed her hand and instantly reacted with her. He then followed with an attack that sent Gaara flying. This use of power caused Hinata to fall asleep. After the rest of the participating genin begin realizing that Oto is part of the attack, Kin backs away from them and talks to them about the invasion before turning the Kiba's kunai on herself. Back down in the arena, Gaara's siblings and sensei collected in his defense. When Gaara realized he was injured, he became enraged and started transforming into a half sand creature. Naruto ran away with Hinata in his arms as Genma held Gaara off for a short while. Baki sent Temari and Kankuro after them and prepared to face Genma. Suddenly, Shino showed up and says that there are others who joined the chase.

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**I received five entertaining reviews last chapter, all of which mentioning a single subject. I really fooled a lot of people with how I wrote something in the previous chapter. It's that kind of thing that makes me feel a little proud of myself.**

**PS: I apologize ahead of time for the use of the dreaded 'Believe it' line.**

**11-12-10**

**Naruto's Evasion**

Sagesumi took Suikomu and scrapped the sword against an Oto shinobi. The countless spikes along the sword's narrowing cone shape easily tore through the man's amour while simultaneously draining his chakra. She then tightened her grip and speared a guy to her left. "What weaklings. They can't be serious with an attack like this." She looked around and noticed the two chunin she was sitting next to working together to fight off the invaders. She then looked down at the arena and noticed Shino. "He's crazy to be standing there with two jonin." She started her leap down to the arena. "I like that." Just as she landed, Shino started running to the sides of the arena. "Now where's he going?" As she watched him leave, she took notice of the massive barrier holding Orochimaru and the Hokage.

**Just outside of Konogakure's walls:**

"NARUTO UZUMAKI~~!" Gaara used his transformed arm to tear through the first in many trees. "YOU CAN'T GET AWAY FROM ME!"

Naruto held Hinata's unconscious body close to his own. "Watch me." Naruto jumped up and into the leaves of the tree above him. "MULTI SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!"

Gaara paused as countless numbers of Naruto appeared in the branches. "How did he make this many clones?" At least fifty copies of the blond charged the red-headed. Gaara's transformed arm extended and destroyed some of the clones but most of them got to Gaara. With his sand being used for his transformation, there was nothing to defend him from the many blows to his body and head. The stream of attacks knocked him to the ground.

"GET HIM!" The remaining 35 clones jumped down and prepared to attack.

Gaara looked up at them with widened eyes. "ENOUGH!" The sand on his back expanded out and covered nearly all his body. Both arms matched up and the sand formed a massive tail with five of the finger-like protrusions along the tail's length. The sand also formed an animalistic face with sharp teeth and completely black eyes with and a sand colored iris. "SAND SHURIKEN!" He swept his arm through the air and released many spheres of sand, destroying the clones. "I AM COMING FOR YOU NARUTO UZUMAKI!"

He used an extended arm to grab a tree and rocket his self forward. He quickly found the blond and used his other arm to spear the blond with his fingers. Hinata flew out of his arms as the Naruto disappeared in smoke. Hinata became surrounded in smoke and was revealed to be another Naruto. This blond looked up at the transformed Suna shinobi with a smirk. "Try to find me now." After destroying the clone mercilessly, Gaara roared into the air with all his might.

At the top of the Konoha walls, Temari and Kankuro stopped dead in their tracks at the sound of Gaara's roar. Temari developed a worried expression. "Gaara~."

Kankuro glanced at his sister before turning his attention back on the forest. "We have to find him. Let's go." Kankuro jumped down the side of the wall with Temari following after him, running along the obvious trail of destruction left behind by Gaara.

They disappeared into the forest for only ten seconds before another group passed over the walls. The one at the head of the group is Kiba Inuzuka. "They're right ahead of us guys."

Kiba hears a condescending female voice behind him. "Are you sure~?"

Kiba clenched his teeth. "If you want to say it Kin then go ahead!"

"Fine. … You're an idiot."

Kiba looked back at her, seeing Sasuke and Shikamaru in the sides of his vision as he did so. Kin looked just like before with a major difference being a scratch across the middle of her headband. "I get it okay. I _am_ an idiot."

She smirked at him. "I just wanted to hear you say it. Now eyes on the trees baka."

Sasuke also smirked at him. "There's nothing wrong with thinking that she was going to kill herself. Naruto would have done the same thing."

Shikamaru glanced over to Sasuke. "Being compared to Naruto won't make him feel any better."

"HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW SHE WAS JUST SCRATCHING HER HEADBAND?" Akamaru looked up and yipped into Kiba's face. "Not you too~ Akamaru." Kiba's eyes widened a bit. "Stop!"

Seconds after stopping, they noticed Kankuro standing right in their path. He glared at them in annoyance. "If you are going to chase someone then at least be quiet about it."

Kin stepped up beside Kiba and pointed at him nonchalantly with her thumb. "Blame it on this idiot. All he knows is barking, howling, and sniffing everyone's rear-end."

Kiba turned towards her angrily. "I DON'T DO THINGS LIKE THAT!"

She smirks at him. "You could have fooled me. Don't think I didn't notice you trying to sniff me up once."

Kiba blushed but maintained his stance. "THAT HAPPENED ONCE AND IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!"

"So you admit it."

With each passing moment of the conversation, Kankuro became angrier and angrier. "ENOUGH!" This drew all their attention. Kankuro focused his attention upon Kin. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE FIGHTING AGAINST KONOHA!"

She pointed up at her forehead. "Read the headband. I quit." She started shooing him off with her hand. "Now why don't you run along and play with your dolls little boy?"

This instantly drove Kankuro's temper over the edge. He prepared to pull his puppet out but his eyes widened when he was frozen in place. "Not again." Knowing that he was captured in Shikamaru's shadow, Kankuro could only watch as Kin pulled out two senbon with bells attached to the ends and threw them between his feet. "You missed." He lowered his gaze as the bells started to ring. "Who's she trying to fool?"

Kankuro's eyes widened once again as his head began feeling woozy. Shikamaru released the Suna shinobi from his shadow. "Now!"

"With pleasure." Sasuke dashed forward, reaching Kankuro in an instant. He kicked Kankuro into an aerial arc and appeared behind him. "Lion's Barrage!" Sasuke followed up with a series of combos that ended with and axe-kick into Kankuro's stomach that slammed him into a different tree branch. The Suna shinobi fell unconscious from the series of blows. Satisfied in the work done, Sasuke turned his attention to Kiba. "What are you waiting for dog-breath, a biscuit? They're getting away from us."

Kiba prepared to retort but was smacked in the back of the head. "Don't waste our time pup." Kiba glared at Kin before running ahead.

Deeper in the forest, Gaara continued tearing down tree after tree. He spotted numerous Naruto/Hinata pairs and swiftly crushed them in his hands. After finding another, he reached out and pulled them in separately. Birds flew away and even the trees began to react to the rising anger around Gaara. This anger only grew as he looked the Naruto in the eyes. "WHERE ARE YOU NARUTO UZUMAKI?"

The clone smirked at him. "Like I'd…." Gaara crushed it then turned his attention to the other clone which had already dispelled the transformation. This clone looked at Gaara with more seriousness. "I'm never letting you get anywhere near Hinata-chan." He narrowed his eyes. "Believe it."

Looking into the clones eyes, Gaara's own eyes widened. After his transformed hand trembled for a few seconds, he crushed the clone as he did many others. The emotion within him built up before exploding out as a massive amount of sand. This sand quickly shaped into a massive beast with an overweight body and one tail with countless overlapping scale protrusions. The blue marking shaping his body become more prominent on the tail and less so on the body. He lifted his large head into the air and took a deep breath. "YOU CAN'T RUN FOREVER NARUTO UZUMAKI! I'LL FLATTEN THIS ENTIRE FOREST IF I HAVE TO!"

Temari looked up at her brother's transformed state with pure fear in her eyes. "Not now. This is happening too fast."

A fair distance behind the transformed Gaara, the true Naruto stopped on a large branch. He lowered his self, supporting Hinata on his knee. "Shadow Clone Jutsu." Two clones appeared with one immediately disappearing, transferring a dispersal command to all the other clones. The final remaining clone took Hinata into his arms and began circling to Gaara's side. The true Naruto went the other direction.

Gaara tore through a group of trees with one hand and flattened a section with his other. "I WILL FIND YOU NARUTO UZUMAKI!"

Sasuke, along with the other genin all froze in place as they watched the massive monster's rampage, eyes trembling at the sight. "What is that?"

Kin gulped loudly. "I think that's Gaara."

Kiba immediately turned around. "That's crazy! That thing is a monster!"

Shikamaru shook his head slightly. "She's right. What Gaara turned into in the arena was a lot like that."

Kiba swung his arm back and pointed at Gaara. "You're kidding me. That's massive. There's no way we can fight against that."

Kin glared at him. "That's why we are chasing them. Those two are the only one's that can hope to defeat him."

Sasuke crossed his arms in frustration. "She's right. I have no chance against something like that." After a few seconds, Sasuke developed some solace in his expression. "At least Naruto can never hope to fight that thing without that Hyuga's help."

Kiba drew their attention by some sudden loud sniffing. "I think I can smell Hinata guys. She's heading this way with Naruto."

After a few seconds, Naruto appeared with Hinata in his arms. He stopped and looked at them in surprise. "What are you guys doing here?" The blond looked back at the sound of another group of trees being destroyed. He then turned his attention back on the other genin with a serious and pleading expression. "Take Hinata-chan and get out of here. I'll hold him off."

This instantly set Sasuke off. "What do you expect to do against that?"

The blond clenched his teeth in frustration. "I don't have time to fight with you Teme. Just get out of here."

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes at Naruto. "This isn't like the Naruto back at the academy. The old Naruto would be yelling at us and drawing attention to our position. Let's do it. The more distance we have between us and whatever is going to happen, the better I'll feel."

Kiba and Kin responded in unison. "No arguments here."

Naruto lowered Hinata onto a branch and disappeared in a burst of smoke, much to everyone's surprise. "If that's a clone, then where's the real Naruto?"

On the opposite side of Gaara's rampage, the true Naruto froze in place then turned around. "This has to be far enough!" He faced Gaara and began to slowly weave a short set of hand-seals. Sweat formed on his brow and his face turned a little red. "Remember how it felt Naruto. Build up all your chakra and don't let any of it escape." Naruto could feel his body pulsing from the urge to release the built up chakra. "Not yet. It's not enough." The pulsations grew faster and stronger as Naruto weaved the final seal then bit his thumb. As he felt the final pulsation coming, he directed it to his hand and slammed it into the tree. "SUMMONING JUTSU!"

The massive beast that was Gaara turned towards the massive amount of smoke to his left. The smoke quickly cleared to reveal a toad large enough to look him in the eye. The toad's body color reminded Gaara of partially dried blood with brighter red colors around the eyes, forming designs on the face and belly, and covering the outside of his limbs. All the toad wore was a single dark blue vest and a tanto blade strapped to the side. Its eyes shined a bright yellow with elongated horizontal pupils. At some point in its life, the toad received a large scare over the left eye. He also had a large smoking pipe in his mouth. After a few moments of examining the toad, Gaara noticed a small orange speck on the toad's head. "INTERESTING~~~! SO THIS IS WHAT YOU'VE BEEN HIDING NARUTO UZUMAKI!"

The massive toad looked at Gaara for a single instant before turning his eyes up to somehow look at Naruto. "SHUKAKU! DO YOU REALLY EXPECT ME, THE GREAT GAMABUNTA, TO FIGHT AGAINST SOMETHING LIKE THAT?"

Naruto's jaw dropped in surprise. "Come on~ Boss! I need your help to lure him away from Hinata-chan." GAMBETTA

"Hinata huh. Gamakichi told me about her. It would be a shame for someone he speaks so kindly of to get killed."

"Yeah. My friends are taking Hinata-chan to the village so keep him away from there."

Gamabunta took his tanto in his 'hands.' "No problem."

**Back at the arena:**

The group of ANBU watched as the battle within the violet barrier escalated. The true shock was when Orochimaru somehow used a jutsu to bring back the first and second Hokage. Their frustration at being unable to help only grew at being unable to see what was happening behind an intertwining forest summoned by the first Hokage. "What's with you ANBU guys?"

They all turned around in surprise at the unexpected voice and see a shaggy haired teen with abnormally tall height. They relax a bit after noticing a Konoha headband on her forehead. The one wearing a white cloak stepped towards her. "What are you doing here? You are supposed to be either helping with evacuation or preparing to drive the invaders out."

Sagesumi smirked at them. "Sorry about that. I didn't get the memo." She suddenly glared at them. "What I'm wondering is why you idiots aren't trying to save our Kage."

"It is not that easy. This barrier repels all our attacks."

Sagesumi scoffed at them. "That is why you have me here." Without hesitation, she began walking over to one of the barrier's corners. The person at this corner was a male with three tufts of orange hair on his head, a simple white shirt, darker pants, and a large purple rope tied in a bow around his waist. The guy glared at Sagesumi as she leaned towards the barrier just enough to not touch it. "Hey there big boy. Are you up for a little talk."

His glare increased in fierceness. "I have nothing to tell Konoha trash."

"I'm not asking much. I just want you to drop this barrier so we can help our dear Hokage."

"What kind of idiot do you take me for?"

Sagesumi smirked widely and pointed the tip of Suikomu at him. "A fat one if you don't take my advice."

"No chance."

Sagesumi's smirk only grew. "That's for me to decide." As she made us of Suikomu spear-like shape, the only resistance she felt was the large man's shoulder.

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**As you guys can probably tell, things will be happening differently once again. I love playing with the original story and causing a cascade of changes starting with just one small change.**

**Next Chapter: Repercussions.**


	43. Repercussions: Chapter 43

Underlined speech is thought.

_Italicized words signify emphasis put on the words or a change in tone. You should be able to figure it out from the choice of words and the character._

_Sentences of thought that are completely italicized were spoken by another character at another time._

_Italicized sections are songs/chants; whatever you what to call them. When a word is bolded, it is being spoken by only Naruto. If it is underlined,_ _it is being spoken by only Hinata. A word with (parentheses) around it is echoed. The numbers of echoes are the same as the number of parentheses pairs. Also, if a parentheses pair is (underlined), it is only Hinata's voice that echoes it. Songs will not use quotation marks like normal speech._

CAPITALIZED SPEECH IS YELLING.

These are … interruptions in …speech caused … by things …like laughing,…crying, thought,.. and…others.

Words-with-dashes-between-them-consistently-signify-when-a-character-is-talking-too-fast-to-understand.

Words with tildes~ after them are spoken for longer~ periods of time.

Previously on Edel Raid and Pleasure: Naruto ran full speed out of the village an into the forests with Gaara following right after him. The blond disappeared from sight and used his clones to run a widespread diversion while forcing him into a full transformation. As this happened, Gaara's siblings chased after them, who were followed by Sasuke, Shikamaru, Kiba, and Kin. The four's arguments drew the attention of Kankuro, who was easily defeated by their combined jutsu. Somewhat deeper in the forest, Gaara began getting more and more enraged. After being told off by some clones, he transformed into a monstrously sized beast. This brought fear to just about everyone's eyes. Naruto calmly reacted by dispersing all but one clone and splitting off from the unconscious Hinata to face Gaara alone. The clone carrying Hinata ran into the other genin and dropped her off. As he became certain of Hinata's safety, Naruto summoned the massive Gamabunta to face off against the equally massive Gaara. Some time earlier, Sagesumi was chasing after Shino and noticed the barrier with Hiruzen in it along the way. With Suikomu in hand, she walked over to a corner of the barrier and pierced the heavy-set guy on the other end of the wall.

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**Writing has started to get too difficult for me. College is getting serious and I have a completely original, non-fan-fiction story that I want to write and publish. I believe that I have gotten all the experience I can from fan-fiction. (More details at the bottom of the chapter.)**

**1-2-11**

**Repercussions**

The guy's eyes widened as he felt the sharp pain of Suikomu piercing his shoulder. "How did she do that." Even with the large loss in concentration, he managed to keep his end of the barrier from falling apart.

Sagesumi smirked widely. "I'm surprised that you are still holding up tubby. It looks like that isn't all fat on your bones. Now lets see how much chakra you have."

His eyes widened as he felt his chakra reserves dropping suddenly. He glared at the sword stuck in his side. "This thing is draining away all my chakra. I have to do something or I'll be killed."

Sagesumi's eyes widened a bit when she saw numerous connected triangles spread out and form intricate lines all over the guy's body. "What kind of jutsu is that." A sensation from Suikomu directed her to look at the hilt. "His chakra suddenly became something malevolent." The guy grabbed Suikomu with one hand and began trying to pull it out. Sagesumi smirked at his failure. "That won't work. All those spines work just like fish-hooks."

He glared at her. "Then how about this."

Sagesumi's eyes widened when he began trying to pull her in. Even with the chakra she hastily placed at her feet, he was pulling her closer and closer to the barrier. "He's got some crazy power. I can't pull free." Looking at the hilt of Suikomu, she remembered about the jewel set within. She pulled the jewel out, returning Suikomu to its original stalagmite shape. With one strong pull, Sagesumi freed her sword and then put the jewel back in. After that, she stabbed the ground at the guy's feet. "SUIKOMUKEN: CAGING FANG!" Six thin spires of rock formed around him and extended numerous spikes around or into his body. With him completely contained, the barrier began to falter. Sagesumi noticed this and stabbed the ground again. "SUIKOMUKEN: GREAT MAW!" Numerous stone spikes began to rise along sides of the barrier.

As this all happened the ANBU, who had be unable to do anything, watched as a single girl with a chunin rank tore down the barrier as if it were nothing. Rather than spend their time lamenting their failure, the ANBU ran into the openings of Sagesumi's jutsu and of the trees.

The sight they were met with was that of the monkey king Enma holding the blade of a glowing sword as it tried to pass though Hiruzen's body. Enma was being restrained by snakes and Hiruzen was somehow restraining Orochimaru. When Orochimaru noticed the ANBU, he looked at them with absolute fear in his eyes. "What are those four doing?"

The ANBU in white walked over to the white skinned Sannin and looked him in the eyes. "Give it up Orochimaru. It is over for you."

Hiruzen smiled. "He's right. Your barrier is gone. You have no way to defend yourself."

There were all surprised when the ANBU were all wrapped into what looked like flying spider webs. Three of the four who created the barrier quickly appeared. "OROCHIMARU-SAMA!"

Orochimaru smiled at the change. "KILL HIM NOW!"

They began to carry out that order without hesitation. "SUIKOMUKEN: RISING JAW!" Stone spikes rose high from the surfaced and impeded all three's actions.

Recognizing the voice, a look of urgency crossed Hiruzen's face. "Quickly, give me all the chakra you can spare Sagesumi!"

With the same reaction speed of the other three, Sagesumi appeared next to Hiruzen. Moments later, a stream of chakra began to flow from her to the Hokage. With the connection that her chakra provided, Sagesumi began seeing just what the other two saw. "What kind of jutsu is this!"

The aged Hokage smiled widely as blood dripped out the side of his mouth. "It is the Reaper Death Seal and it will be the end of Orochimaru."

Down in the stands Haku let out a sigh of relief as the signs of fighting began to quiet down. "This has been the most difficult test of my skills yet. Hitting blurred images of enemies in their weak points while making sure they aren't from Konoha is a true challenge. I wish I could use my jutsu, but there is too much room for error without my sight. If it wasn't for my training to fight in complete darkness, I'd be useless."

A person suddenly appeared behind him. "Is that you Kakashi-san?"

"Yeah. You've done pretty well here."

"Arigato."

Out of the corner of his vision, Kakashi noticed that the barrier around the Kage was gone. "I think there is somewhere else that could use my help."

As Kakashi noticed this, Sagesumi looked down at Hiruzen's stomach and noticed a creepy hand pulling on something out of the one she guessed was Orochimaru. She easily saw that Orochimaru's eyes were also concentrated on this. The man tried to speak, but his voice was caught by something.

Hiruzen's expression turned highly solemn. "I noticed the darkness in your eyes years ago but I chose to ignore it due to the talent you possessed. In the end, I was forced to accept that you lacked the Will of Fire and chose Minato to be my successor. When the time came for your true nature to be exposed, I couldn't bring myself to stop you." The elderly man's expression went fierce in an instant. "Now you've attacked the place that I call home and threatened the lives of every one there. This is the repercussion of your actions."

The hand extending from Hiruzen's body pulled back one last time, wrenching what was in it's grasp from Orochimaru's body. It all then receded into Hiruzen's body, leaving behind a complex seal. When he let go of Orochimaru, the man's body fell to the ground with a thud. The snakes disappeared around Enma, allowing him to stand up and then pull the sword out of Hiruzen's chest.

As she watched the blood spill from the wound, Sagesumi took Hiruzen's arm and placed it over her shoulders. "We have to get you to a medic."

Enma placed a hand over her arm. "There is no point. The Reaper Death Seal is a S-classed forbidden jutsu that costs the users very soul. It is a price even greater than death."

"But!"

Hiruzen chuckled. "Enma is right. I don't have much longer to live. These are the repercussions of calling on the Shinigami."

She glared at him in frustration. "YOU CAN'T DIE LIKE THAT! WHAT'S THE VILLAGE GOING TO DO WITHOUT THEIR HOKAGE!"

Hiruzen started to laugh but coughed up blood instead. "It does not matter if I die so long as the village survives. As Hokage, protecting the village is my job."

Sagesumi closed her eyes tightly and clenched her fists. "Curse it all! In all my time with the Genso, I was told that villages were nothing to be trusted. I would have never dreamed of them having leaders like this."

"OROCHIMARU-SAMA!"

Sagesumi looked up and saw the three from before coming once again. A main difference in their appearance was that numerous intricate designs of different types covered their bodies. She stood up and then took Suikomu into her hands. No sooner did she do so, Sagesumi noticed an aggressive presence to her rear. She looked back to see the same person she trapped in her stone spires. His appearance had changed drastically into having red skin and large warts along the upper parts of his arms and on his forehead. His hair became brighter orange and grew into a mane. "SUIKOMUKEN: CLENCHED MANDIBLE!" She stabbed the ground with Suikomu, causing a number of spikes to rise up and from a complete barrier around her. "Suikomuken: Drilling Tooth."

The big guy drew his fast back then punched the spires despite the spikes covering them. This proved pointless as she was already gone. "Where'd she go?"

The lone female of the four found the answer. "BEHIND YOU FATTY!" He turned around then quickly fell to the side.

Since he moved just in time, Sagesumi only stabbed air. In that single instant, she decided to take the appearances of the other three into mind, the trait they all had being a oversized purple rope tied into a bow around their light brown tunics as well as the same white bandage socks and tight black shorts. One had darker skin than normal and two extra sets of arms and was the only one wearing his head-band. His short black hair was tied back into a fan-like shape. The black marks all over his body looked like numerous interlocking hooks.

One of the others had blue-gray hair covering half his face and had what looked like an extra head coming out of the back of his neck. His markings looked like lines of dots.

The forth, the only female, had dark red hair under a black cap with small spikes and some bandages around her forehead. The marks along her body looked like two lines making a right angle. This one broke her attention from Sagesumi and focused on the one who fell. "HOW PATHETIC DO YOU HAVE TO BE TO NEED LEVEL TWO FOR ONE WENCH!"

The blue-gray haired one glared at her. "Enough Tayuya. We have to get Orochimaru-sama out of here."

"Sorry, but that won't be possible." Hearing the unknown voice behind them, excluding the larger one, their eyes widened and they turned around. They instantly recognized the person as Kakashi Hatake; one of the few they were told to never try to face.

"SCATTER!"

As they prepared to move, a rain of senbon flew towards them. The one with extra arms failed to dodge them and immediately fell down. Kakashi looked in the direction the senbon came from with an apathetic expression. "I didn't want someone who is nearly blind to go this far for us but he insisted."

Haku stepped out from behind a tree and looked towards Kakashi. "Blindness is not as great a handicap for me as it would be for others." He looked towards the others. "Should we capture them alive?"

"Considering your skills, that's a viable option."

Haku nodded. "Understood." He quickly ran towards the large one behind Sagesumi.

As he watched Haku bring down that one's limbs one by one, he looked down at the deceased bodies of Orochimaru and Hiruzen with a sad expression. "It's so sudden. Hokage-sama was alive and well not one hour ago." Despite the urge to reminisce, Kakashi turned his attention to Haku who was taking out someone looking like a twin of the grey haired one as he jumped out from behind a tree. Seeing the other begin running away, Kakashi acted to intercept.

Seeing all her teammates fall one after another, the red-headed female began transforming even further. Her skin turned the same kind of brown as the trees around them. Her now much longer hair became a bright pink and the bandages covering her head fell off as five thick white horns grew from her head with irregular shapes. She started to pull out a flute, but was forced to drop it as a senbon pierced her wrist. After pulling the senbon out, a frustrated expression. "What kind of guy is he? I can't even move my hand anymore."

"Do not worry about your hand. I merely paralyzed it." He began to slowly walk forward. "Why haven't you tried to run away yet?"

She glared at him. "THAT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS PRETTY-BOY!"

Haku smiled softly at her. "That is a kind compliment. She seems to have a real loyalty towards her leader. Her voice reminds me of how I sounded when I learned of Zabuza-san's death."

"O-out of my way."

Haku shook his head side-to-side. "I do not think that you want to do that. You have no hope of escape as you are now. Doing so as you carry a dead body would be impossible."

"HE'S NOT DEAD! YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT OROCHIMARU-SAMA!"

Haku lowered his head and closed his eyes. "I understand. I won't allow escape … but you can go see the truth for yourself."

"I DON'T WANT YOUR SYMPATHY!"

"It is not sympathy. I am merely offering that which I would want. Whether you take it or not is your decision."

She glared at him for a few seconds. "Don't you think I could attack you from behind."

"I know that I'm not your priority."

After a few more moments of tenseness, she relaxed. Her form changed back to what it was at the beginning. As she started to run past Haku, she turned towards him. "That softness will get you killed."

Haku only smiled. "Two of the softest hearts I know are some of the strongest. I wonder how they are doing in the middle of this."

**Back in the forest:**

A certain dark-haired Hyuga girl's eyes started opening.

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**First, about this chapter. None of you really thought that being just about blind would really hold Haku back if he ever found himself in a situation where he had to fight. Remember that Zabuza said that he could hit vital points with absolute precision in absolute darkness. The reason for the defenseless act was because that was the kind of life I would imagine Haku wanting with Zabuza gone.**

**Now about me stopping my writing. You read that I'm going to stop so now I'll tell you what I'm doing with my stories:**

**[What I want is for someone to take this story up and write for it. When someone offers, I will request that I be a beta reader for this. I will give them important events for my story and let them take it from there. After they finish a chapter, I will read it over to see if the quality is satisfactory. If I don't find a satisfactory writer for this by the end of February, I will write a massive summary of all the events I had planned and just wrap it up. (I won't leave this story without giving out how it all ends.) Wish me luck on my original story idea. For now, it is called Fighter Amidst Warriors.]**


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